Broken Glass
by ohdeariemegoodness
Summary: When a strange girl shows up begging for help at the Cullens' doorstep, they don't know what to do. Why is she hurt? Who is she- or more appropriately, what is she? And most importantly, who- or what- is after her?
1. Prologue

**AN: hello world! i told you i'd have this out fast. this is just the prologue, so it's more meant to shed some light on the back story than anything else. you're going to be a bit confused but that's all part of the plan! :]  
**

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Terrence knelt at the foot of the Great Dais, awaiting his turn to appear before Lord Armand. Finally, his name was called, and he moved up the stairs slowly, dreading his encounter with the King's favorite and most vicious advisor. He fell to his knees when he reached the topmost stair, touching his forehead in respect. "You may rise." Cautiously, he approached the ornate black marble throne. Darkness swirled around him, and he let it envelop him, relishing in its strength. "You commanded my appearance, Lord?"

Lord Armand coughed and glared at Terrence. "Obviously. I hear that you are most skilled in taking down the Ah'lyah, yes?" Terrence nodded. "I have several kills. Almost ten." Lord Armand's eyebrows shot up, but he quickly masked his surprise with indifference. Strange that one so young could be so talented. "Very good, I'm sure. In that case, I have an assignment for you." Terrence leaned forward, entranced. An assignment? From Lord Armand himself? This must be an honor indeed. "There is a member of the Ah'lyah who has been giving us quite a bit of trouble. You've noticed the faint light appearing over the city, I'm sure?"

Terrence nodded and waited impatiently for him to continue. "Well, that is the work of one Arabelle, Aralée's lovely Princess. She's been in the old world for some time now, but now she's orchestrated something truly horrendous. Someone has to stop her before the light cuts through and kills us all." Terrence gasped. "It's that bad?" Grimly, Lord Armand nodded. "We're trusting you to find her and bring her back here to be killed. Remember, she's royalty. Her defenses are many. And her Companion, Ihvon, is an absolute beast. Killed forty of our best men single handedly, no weapons. And of course, you can't just kill him, not without letting her escape. You know about the bond, of course. But I'm just reminding you."

Terrence felt a wicked grin spread across his face. "So basically, I'm to capture the Princess, leave her Companion behind, and take her to the Altar?" Lord Armand nodded, and Terrence cackled. "I can do it. But I need a team of two hundred skilled but disposable soldiers. I've studied on Ah'lyah royalty- they're extremely powerful. The mission won't succeed without large casualties." Lord Armand scowled at Terrence but nodded. "It will be done." Terrence bowed, touching his forehead again. "May I leave your presence, Lord? There is much work to be done before I can depart and little time in which to do it." Lord Armand gave a curt nod and waved Terrence away.

Terrence backed off the Great Dais and then ran towards the bar he basically lived in. Most of his regular hires would be there, and he could tell them he had a new assignment. Not that he had any intention of telling them what it entailed; they just served for the money. His soldiers weren't planning on dying for him. So he wasn't going to give them a choice. Sniggering, he appreciated his own particular brand of humor as he ran across town.

The bar was a dilapidated old building, the door rotted around the edges and the windows boarded up. It wasn't out of place, though; most buildings in Ter'sed matched its ramshackle appearance. One of the downsides of living in Ter'sed was that the darkness ate away at everything, ruining anything it touched. There could be no beauty or art in such a place. Even the residents, if they didn't travel to the old world enough, lost their dark splendor and began to decay themselves. The darkness would kill its own almost as quickly as it would those who belonged to the light.

Terrence paused with his hand on the doorknob. Something was wrong; no shouts and screams were leaking through the drafty walls, and he didn't see the frightful shadows that typically filled the atmosphere. Cautiously, he pushed the door open to find… light. It was filling the room, illuminating even the most forsaken corners and darkest edges. Terrence cried out, covering his burning eyes from the light. As quickly as he could, he slammed the door shut, then took off running back in the direction of the Great Dais. He didn't have time to prepare for his task; it had to be carried out immediately, before this kind of wholesale slaughter became the norm.

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In what had once been a bar, a tree burst through the floor, its boughs already heavy with golden apples. A silvery-blue bird darted out of a cabinet, chirping merrily. Foliage swiftly covered the walls and floor, flowers popping up everywhere in a rainbow of colors. A delicate pond began to form in one corner, shimmer-scaled fish appearing in it as if by magic. Butterflies materialized in the air, their wings bright with color, and a soft wind that led to nowhere gently nudged the grasses and flowers. Faint images of people, much different from the ones who had formerly inhabited the bar, began to flicker in the air, as if seen through a great amount of water. The muffled sounds of their voices filled the room with music, entrancing the creatures.

From far away, a Princess laughed joyously, her tinkling laughter saturating the air with the sound of bells.

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**AN: so what did you think? review and let me know! and thank you for reading. please, read the first chapter before you make a decision about the story- and yes, this really is twilight fanfic. you just have to read ch.1 to see what's going on! :]**

**Pronunciation Guide: Armand (AR mahn)**

** Ah'lyah (ah lee ah)**

** Arabelle (AIR uh bell)**

** Aralée (AIR uh lay)**

** Ihvon (EYE vuhn)**

** Ter'sed (tair sed)**

**no, i don't know how to do it dictionary style. i just sounded it out and put what looked right. ;]  
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	2. Glowing

**AN: So since the prologue was so short, i decided to go ahead and put up the first chapter. if you're sort of confused right now, that's a good thing. you'll find out more as the story progresses- the mystery will help you to relate to the cullens in their quest to figure out what's going on before time is up. and this is the actual story so it will not be like the prologue. that was mostly to give you a tiny bit of background info. read it and love it, people! :]  
**

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Esme hummed quietly to herself as she glided through the house, making sure to get every last speck of dust. Carlisle was at work, and the children were at school; it was just her at the moment. She wanted the house to be positively sparkling when they returned. Smiling to herself, Esme dusted the piano. The keys tinkled as she ran the duster over top of them, reminding her of the last time she'd heard the piano played. Maybe Edward would play her something when he got home; she truly hoped he would. His music was beautiful.

Suddenly, the sound of ragged breathing caught Esme's attention. Light footsteps pounded towards the door, accompanied by the sound of a heart beating- much too fast to be human, fluttering rapidly and irregularly. Esme dashed to the door and threw it open to come face to face with the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen. Her clothes were torn, and tears streamed down her face, but an unearthly glow emanated from her in a way that could only be described as heavenly. The girl was absolutely lovely.

A pained shriek escaped the girl's mouth, interrupting Esme's star struck reverie. Esme darted forward to catch the girl as she stumbled forward. She was oddly light- Esme could usually tell the weight of something when she picked it up, even though nothing felt like much weight to a vampire. The girl, however, appeared to weigh the same as a feather would, almost seeming to float in Esme's arms. It was mildly disturbing. Esme cradled her gently, afraid to cause any more harm to the fragile girl she was holding.

"Shhh," she murmured, trying to calm the girl down. "It's okay. I've got you now. What's happened, sweetie?" The question elicited nothing more than a deep moan. Esme stroked the girl's forehead. "Can you tell me your name, dear?" A fresh batch of tears erupted, but the girl opened her mouth. "Ara…" She trailed off, obviously gathering the strength to speak. "Ara… Ara… belle. Arabelle." Little gasps came between each syllable. Esme made soothing noises and stroked Arabelle's forehead. "Alright, Arabelle. I'm going to call Carlisle, my husband. He's a doctor. He will help you the best he can, okay? You just need to try to calm down and rest, sweetie." Arabelle's eyelids trembled, fluttering with the beat of her heart, and she gasped out three final words. "Please… help… me…" With that, her eyes rolled back into her head and she lost consciousness.

Esme carefully laid Arabelle on the couch and ran into the kitchen, grabbing her cell phone off the counter. She hit speed dial to call Carlisle. He answered on the first ring- she never called him at work unless it was an emergency. "What's wrong, Esme?"

"Carlisle… I can't really explain this over the phone, but there's this girl- not human- and she needs help. I need you to come home as soon as you can."

"I'll be there immediately. I'll say there's been a family emergency. Do you want me to pull the children out of school?"

"I… I suppose you should. Edward, Jasper and Alice may be of some help. I don't know what's wrong with her. I didn't see any injuries."

"Don't worry about it. I'll call the school and have them let the children go. I'm leaving right now. Call me if anything bad happens, okay?"

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too, Esme. Goodbye, and I'll be there soon."

Esme said her goodbyes and turned her attention to the girl on the couch. Her golden blonde hair spilled out all over the couch- it was incredibly long. There was a strange golden tattoo, exactly the same color of her hair, on her left wrist. Silvery tears still spilled down her face, dripping down. A strange necklace hung on her neck; it was gold and silver, with the same symbol as the tattoo on the pendant, and diamonds strung all along it. Her dress, now filthy and torn, was woven from a fabric Esme didn't recognize, and had once been a soft white with gold trim. Her skin was deeply tanned, and shimmered so that it almost looked like she'd been painted with glitter.

Strangest of all, though, was the soft glow that radiated from her. Esme could clearly distinguish the light Arabelle gave off from that already in the room. It was as pure as sunlight, and when she got close, it made Esme's skin sparkle as if she were outdoors in the sun. Esme stared at her arm in wonderment as it threw rainbows around the room. What could this girl be? Abruptly, a heartrending sob burst from Arabelle, punctuated by cries of "Ihvon!" and "No, please no!" Esme sat down and placed Arabelle's head in her lap, stroking her hair. She hummed one of Edward's lullabies, intent on easing her pain.

Her sobs subsided just as Carlisle burst through the door, followed by all six of the children. "Thank goodness you're here," Esme breathed. "I've no clue what's wrong with her." Carlisle rushed to her side, but Edward stood framed by the doorway. "Edward? Won't you come in?" Edward did not respond to his mother; he was too intent on the strange girl's mind. It was closed, but he thought that with a little pushing, he could break it…

Suddenly the floodgates burst in. Edward fell to his knees, clutching his head. Jasper, who had been trying to find the girl's emotions, broke through at the same time. He fell to the floor beside Edward. The girl's emotions coursed through Jasper, but they were too much; he was only an outlet, a broken dam. He had no choice but to broadcast them throughout the room. Edward groaned as the pain hit him, coupling with the images in his head to send him spiraling downward into a nightmare. For what seemed like hours, he felt the intense pain of having his soul ripped away over and over, watched his entire life fall again and again. Edward sunk more and more into her mind and soon he was no longer Edward; he was merely a part of Arabelle, another aspect of her. His individual self seeped away and he began to lose his grip as he fell deeper into his mind.

Suddenly, the images in Edward's head stopped. He groaned and flopped over on the floor, desperately fighting for the strength to stand up. Finally, he managed to pull himself to his knees. The pain Jasper was sending out continued to shoot through him, but without the immense weight of her mind he could at least move. Slowly, he crawled towards the couch. The rest of the family stood motionless, their faces frozen masks of pain, but he knew that the girl had to wake up if the pain was ever going to stop. He grabbed the girl's arm and shook as hard as he could, nearly throwing her off the couch.

Arabelle gasped and shot straight up, her bright silver eyes wide. She looked around wildly, noticing the pained expressions around her. Quickly, she cut herself off from the empath, stopping the flow of emotions in the room. The vampires instantly unfroze, crowding around her. Arabelle grimaced. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "I forgot about your little… talents. I was not myself. Or I would have stayed conscious." A sharp bolt of pain shot through her and she cried out, clutching her sides.

Carlisle leaned forward instinctively. "Are you hurt?" Arabelle shook her head. "Not… not in a way you can help right now. But this lucidity will not last. I cannot hold out forever." Arabelle paused, gathering her thoughts. "I… I don't know why I haven't returned to Aralée, except that I must have one last task to complete before I can die. I suppose I must guide a story, though how I can do that partially mad is beyond me…" Looking up, she realized there were others in the room, confusion clear on their faces. "I'm sorry- I don't suppose you understood any of that. I'll ex-" She cut off as another sharp pain struck her. Gasping, she worked to recover.

"I'll explain later, the next time I'm here. Please, don't let me go anywhere. Edward, try not to touch my mind; the insanity will suck you in. The same for you, Jasper. Alice, darling, you will be able to see me. You shouldn't be able to, but I'm going to… Well, my energy will flare out. Stay beside me until you can see my future clearly." A sharp series of pain racked through her, and she doubled over, breathing heavily. A wave of pain washed over her, and she felt herself sinking under. Through the haze, she managed to get a few last words out. "I need…. flowers. And… and sunshine. That's… my food. I'm… I'm sorry for this. And… if they come… If they come, run."

A scream erupted from her lips, and her formerly silver eyes turned dead black. Arabelle sunk to the ground, a broken doll on the floor . A low, continuous moan streamed from her lips. Alice sat down beside her, wrapping her in a tight hug and she shook and writhed. Jasper moved to sit with Alice, placing an arm around her shoulders. Carlisle turned to Esme. "Who is she?" Esme shook her head. "I don't know anything, other than that her name is Arabelle. I just… I have this really intense feeling that we need to help her. Edward, did you catch anything while you were in her mind?"

Edward started to shake his head, but stopped. "I didn't get much. Her mind… it's immense, in a bad way. It's not so much that she has more room… More that, it's so… focused. Intense. I didn't catch much- just bits and pieces. A few glimpses of the past. Her mind… it's chaos. There was pain, lots of pain, and an image of people dressed in black. And the name "Ihvon" was repeated almost constantly. But I didn't get any clues as to who or what she is." Carlisle sighed. "I expected as much. I have a… vague idea of what she might be. But I will have to do some research. I've certainly never encountered one of her kind before."

Bella moved to stand beside Edward. "I can tell you that she was very hard to get under my shield. Her light… It was incredibly bright. It was like… It was like trying to fit the sun into a closet." Concern suddenly colored her face. "Are you okay, Edward? You looked bad." Edward shook his head and pulled Bella closer. "I'm fine, love. I just wasn't prepared." Bella bit her lip. "I'm worried about Nessie and Jake. I think we should call them and ask them to come home. She said something in the end- "if they come, run." Who was she talking about? Or more likely, what? And what if they get Nessie?" Edward nodded. "I'll call. We should all stay together until we have a better idea of what's going on."

Emmett piped in. "Whatever "they" are, obviously they're the ones that did this to Arabelle. I vote we hunt them down and kill them." Rosalie glared at Emmett. "I don't know why we have to help her at all." Emmett laughed. "She's pretty, Rose, but you are the hottest thing I've ever laid eyes on. Not to mention, you don't glow in the dark or randomly turn into a basket case." Rosalie sniffed and turned her nose up, but she was mostly mollified. It was hard to be jealous when Emmett put it that way. Not that she was jealous.

Quietly, the Cullens dispersed to their respective spaces, all except for Jasper and Alice, who stayed with Arabelle. Her shaking had subdued, and she only let out the occasional low whimper. Alice surveyed her outfit and shook her head. "She is absolutely filthy. And this dress might have been beautiful once, but now I'm afraid that it is destined for the dumpster." Jasper chuckled. "Would you like to take her upstairs and play dress up, little Alice?" She pouted and pretended to smack him upside the head, but she stood up anyway. Jasper followed, lifting Arabelle.

"You know, there's something strange about her. I can't touch her true emotions, but she's exuding this… weird feeling. It makes me feel calm and relaxed, and willing to do whatever she needs. And I'm feeling distinctly unsuspicious when I know I shouldn't be." Alice laughed. "That's how she makes me feel too. But there's no sense in trying to worry about it because it won't work anyway." Jasper thought about it, but her logic made since, so he just shrugged his shoulders and followed Alice upstairs.

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**AN: please review and let me know what you think of the story so far! should i keep it? :]**


	3. Bipolar

**AN: hello, world! i finally got out ch.2. don't worry- it will never be more than a week between updates, unless i get like deathly ill or something. anyways, here it is!  
**

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Cautiously, Jasper pushed open the door and peeked into Alice's room, planning on telling her that Esme had gone out. Alice was sitting on the floor, sketching, and Arabelle was perched on a chair, talking to herself. It looked safe enough, so he walked in. "Alice." She looked up, a delighted smile on her face, and motioned for Jasper to sit with her. He sat down, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Alice leaned into him, leaving the sketchbook lying on the floor. "Listen to her," she whispered, her voice soft and quick. "She's talking to a jar. I'm trying to see if I can figure out more about her from her conversation."

Arabelle smiled beatifically at the vase, patting the top of it. "Don't worry, darling. I can take care of it." She turned to a notebook. "Why, Aaralyn! What brings you here?" She pause, cocking an ear towards the notebook, then gasped in surprise. "You are Ah'lyah? How can that be? There hasn't been a late bloomer in so long! Do you have the markings?" She looked intently at the notebook, apparently listening to the reply. "You're right, you know. Wow. You're one of us now. I can hardly believe it. Have you found your Companion yet?" She nodded her head along with the imaginary answer. "Don't worry, you'll find him soon. I know that when I found mine, oh, it was the happiest day of my life. It will be wonderful, I promise. For the first time, you will be whole. You know, when I met Ihvon-" Arabelle cut off with a gasp.

"Ihvon," she moaned, curling into the fetal position. "Oh, Ihvon." Tears started to fall from her eyes, and almost instantly, the sky bottomed out and rain poured down. Alice shot an odd look out the window, but ran to Arabelle's side. She reached out for her, but suddenly both the crying and the rain stopped. "Why?" Arabelle thundered. Lightning flashed in the distance, mirrored in her eyes. "Why won't you let me die?" she cried, looking heavenward. "I just want to go home! How can I be expected to devote myself to my people when I've lost my soul?" Her voice cracked on the last few words, and she sunk to the floor. The rain started back.

"Why, Ihvon?" she moaned. "They would have let you live! I can't live without you. What is a life without a soul? Why didn't you save yourself and let them have me?" She shook her head fiercely, her eyes screwed tightly shut. "Come back," she pleaded. "Come back!" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I need you, Ihvon. I need you. Please." Suddenly, she sat upright, her eyes boring into Alice's. "I was there, you know. I was there when you came to Volterra with the woman-child. Bella. Aro really was going to, you know. He was going to do what you suspected, threaten Bella to get Edward to join the guard. I know you saw that as one of the possibilities."

She turned to look out the window, reflective now instead of intense. "I had to stop him. And he wouldn't listen, so I had to take over him. It was horrible. His mind was oily and disgusting and it felt like one of the Rah'gied. It made me want to gag. But I did it, because I had to keep their story going. Had to make sure it turned out right. For my people, you know. Aralée needed their story to turn out right. And I finished it, because Edward and Bella got married and Rosalie saved Renesmee and I made sure you found Nahuel. And then I moved on to bigger and better things. Things were going great, you know that? The light was moving into the shadow world. Ter'sed would be no more. But it's too late for that, now. It's too late because now my _soul _is _gone. _How can I be expected to exist with no soul?" she demanded, turning back to Alice. "How?"

Alice shook her head; she had no answer for that. Edward needed to listen to Arabelle, because if this was what it was like to lose your soul, then Edward needed to redefine a few key beliefs. "I did what I was supposed to," Arabelle was muttering. "I did. I cannot be Arabelle without Ihvon. I cannot. Arabelle cannot exist; Aralée cannot have a Princess. How can the earth continue to turn without Ihvon to hold it stable?" Her ramblings were disjointed, randomly interspersed with heartbroken sobs and pain-filled shrieks. In the distance, thunder boomed, rattling the house.

A great wind came from the east, crashing into the house with a roar like a train. Trees whipped around wildly, and the sky darkened so that the outside air was as black as night. Arabelle jumped up and ran for the window, throwing it open. She hung part way out, her tears mixing with the rain. "Why?" She moaned, "Oh, why?" Alice came up beside her. "Arabelle…" she murmured. Arabelle shook her head and jumped out the window.

Alice and Jasper followed, landing lightly on their feet just as Arabelle had. Arabelle whirled around, a terrible look on her face, but calmed when she saw it was Alice and Jasper. Alice stood by, helpless, as Arabelle fell to the ground, light flaring out of her. The usually soft glow was bursting out of her, making Arabelle a miniature sun in a sea of darkness. Tears dripped down her face, falling to the ground as diamonds, clear cut and crystalline jewels forming perfect piles on the ground. Arabelle looked down at Alice, her face contorted in pain. "What do I do?" she whispered, her voice hoarse but still somehow managing to sound like a chorus of angels. Alice shook her head, whispering back, "I don't know, Arabelle. But I really wish I did."

Arabelle shook her head, the light dimming to a soft glow. "No. No, you don't know. How could you if I do not? I, with my millennia of experience, am lost, just as surely as a lamb that has strayed from the fold." She sighed heavily, flopping on the ground and landing cross-legged. Directly above her, a small patch of sky opened up, and bright sunshine rained down on her. Gradually, the rest of the sky began to lighten, and the wind and thunder stopped. Alice stared at the sky, filing the incident in her head to report to Carlisle.

Arabelle let out a contented sigh, basking in the sunlight. "I was thirstier than I thought," she said, her voice soft. "I'm hungry, too. But don't worry. They'll be bringing me flowers soon enough. You mustn't eat them, though. That would be a terrible way to thank them." Alice laughed. "What on earth are you talking about?" Arabelle smiled mysteriously, her eyes closed. "You'll see." Alice just shook her head; there was no telling what Arabelle meant.

From the forest around the house, a large bear lumbered out. Alice stared at it curiously. Usually, animals of all shapes and sizes avoided the house, sensing the predators within. But the bear didn't even seem to notice the vampires, merely trudging towards Arabelle with a flowered bough clasped in his mouth. Arabelle let out a beautiful trilling laugh, instantly imitated by the birds now swarming around her, dropping flowers into her lap. She took the bear's offering, and he lay down beside her. Arabelle leaned back into him, plucking flowers up and eating them, sometimes the petals, sometimes just drinking the nectar.

Alice stared, amazed, as an army of creatures came to Arabelle, all carrying flowers for her to eat. Leisurely, Arabelle waved her hands at them. "Enough. Thank you all, my darlings. Come sit with me awhile." All around Arabelle, flowers bloomed and grass shot up, plants growing fast enough for even a human to see. She motioned for Alice and Jasper, standing cautiously on the sideline, to come sit with her. "Come. They won't be afraid of you, not with me here." Tentatively, Alice came forward, sitting beside Arabelle. Almost immediately, a bird landed on her shoulder, chirping happily. A tiny bunny took up residence in her lap as a fawn curled up next to her. Jasper sat down as well, and a lynx crawled up beside him, happily cleaning his arm with its tongue. Arabelle laughed infectiously, and soon both Alice and Jasper joined in, filled with a strange, peaceful wonderment and joy that they had never known. For hours, they sat in the little patch of sunshine, surrounded by animals.

Eventually, they heard a car pull up in the driveway. Esme got out and instantly headed towards the back of the house, confused by all the animals she could smell in the backyard. "Alice? Jasper? Arabelle? What are you doing?" Arabelle laughed, waving for Esme to join them. "The sun is bright, here. The animals are not afraid of you, not with me. Come." Esme approached, squinting her eyes a little against Arabelle's brightness. She'd thought Arabelle was beautiful before, but now she was seeing her in her natural element. Esme found herself awed- Arabelle was not conforming to human ideals of beauty, but rather the natural, majestic beauty of mountains and forests, of the stars and the ocean.

As Esme sat down, Edward was walking around the house to see what was going on, followed by Bella, Emmett, and Rosalie. When they reached the back of the house, they all stopped still, frozen at the sight before them: Arabelle, surrounded by Alice, Jasper, and Esme, sitting underneath a completely cloud-free piece of sky, covered in animals with a miniature forest springing up around them. Edward was the first to break the silence. "What are you doing?" Arabelle sighed. "I suppose it is getting late. And I am full." She stood up, and as she did the sky clouded over, and the animals disappeared into the woods. The plants, however, stayed as they were, flowers nodding happily in the warm breeze that seemed to follow Arabelle everywhere.

She danced towards the house, flowers popping up in her footsteps. "I'll love you forever," she sang, pirouetting and falling back like she expected someone to catch her. But no one did, and she fell onto the ground. Instantly, tears welled in her eyes. "Ihvon? Where are you?" She looked around, her eyes wide. "Why didn't you catch me?" She sniffed, her glow flaring and then fading, then promptly burst into tears, like a child with a skinned knee. Esme rushed forward, trying in vain to comfort Arabelle as her confused tears turned into desolate sobs. "Where is he?" she choked out. "Why won't he come?"

Esme made soothing noises as she stroked her back, and Edward stepped forward and picked Arabelle up, carrying her into the house. He set her down on the couch, and she curled up into a ball, her glow pulsing strangely. Suddenly, she threw herself off the couch and appeared at a window, moving too fast for even a vampire to comprehend. She screamed and punched the window, then started pulling shards of glass out with her bare hands. The glass slid across her skin, cutting and releasing blood like molten gold.

The sickeningly sweet smell of Arabelle's blood jolted Alice out of her shock, and she ran forward, prying Arabelle away from the window. Arabelle collapsed in sobs as the family crowded around her. "I'm sorry," she moaned. "I'm sorry. Oh, Ihvon. Please come back. Please!" Gently, Esme picked up her hands to find the wounds already healed, no traces that they'd ever existed except the faint glimmer of her blood. Arabelle's sobbing cut off abruptly, and she sat up, clarity in her eyes. She clasped one of Esme's hands in both of hers. "I'm not myself, not without him. Forgive me."

Then her eyes rolled around in their sockets, and the madness was back. Arabelle whispered snippets of nursery rhymes and lullabies in a singsong voice, tracing shapes on the floor with her finger. "I love you, I love you, rock-a-bye baby, Jack and Jill went up a hill, and Jack died and Jill fell, falling, falling, oh Ihvon, Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall and when the wind blows, the cradle will rock…" Esme and Alice's eyes met above Arabelle. "What do we do?" Esme questioned. Alice shook her head. "I don't know yet. She said my visions would come back if I stayed by her, though. So we will eventually." Esme sighed, absentmindedly petting Arabelle's hair, and shook her head. "I don't know either, Alice. I guess the best we can do is try and keep her safe for the time being."

Suddenly, Carlisle burst through the front door, his eyes dark. "We have a problem."

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**AN: don't forget to review, people, and thanks for reading! :]**

**Pronunciation Guide: Aaralyn (AIR uh linn)**

** Rah'gied (RAH jee ed, with the "j" like in raja, not jam)  
**


	4. Fighting

**AN: why, hello there, world. how has your day been? mine's been perfectly lovely, thank you for asking. i got my first acceptance letter today and i'm super excited. so excited that i put off all my homework to write this! lol. so without farther ado, here you go:  
**

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**Last time: **Suddenly, Carlisle burst through the door, his eyes dark. "We have a problem."

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Carlisle took two steps into the house, then stopped, swaying. Groaning, he put a hand to his forehead, and fell motionless to the floor. Instantly, Arabelle was at his side, glowing brightly. "Stay back!" she ordered, clearly lucid again. "Except for you, Alice. This will make your visions return instantly. It will feel a bit… different, though. I'd been hoping to do this gradually." Warily, Alice came to take her place beside Arabelle. Closing her eyes, Arabelle breathed deeply, her glow flaring as bright as the sun. The air around her shimmered and sparkled as she laid her hands on Carlisle's chest.

Arabelle sang a wordless melody as she worked, clear, high notes reverberating in the air. After nearly a minute, something black and shapeless emerged from Carlisle's chest. The room was instantaneously filled with dread and fear; Alice felt herself cringe and shy away from the amorphous evil. Arabelle's glow flared impossibly brighter, and her eyes were clear and angry. Distantly, Alice heard herself cry out, but she felt removed from everything, watching the scene play out from outside herself. From the end of a long tunnel, she watched Jasper lunge for her, only to be thrown back by an invisible force.

The darkness swirled and grew, but Arabelle stood firm. Eventually, it started to fizzle, and with a loud pop it disappeared. Alice gasped in shock as she was returned to her own body. She felt strangely weightless, and had a strange sense of everything around her. Without looking, she knew that Carlisle had just opened his eyes, and that he was feeling much better but oddly weak. She turned to Arabelle. "What did you do?" She gasped again at the sound of her own voice; it had a new ring to it, curiously enticing and almost compelling. Arabelle looked grim. "You'll see more than just me, now; your visions will be open to anyone and anything. You will have to work hard to control them." She sighed. "I didn't mean to change you quite so much. At least you still look mostly the same."

"Mostly?" Alice questioned. "Look at yourself." Alice obeyed, and was shocked to see a faint glimmer covering her skin. "Humans won't notice it. Carlisle has it, too. His almost-gift is stronger, now, just as your gift is. Carlisle, you will be able to resist much. You will need to feed much less than your family." Unable to hold in his questions, Edward burst in. "What happened to you, Carlisle?" Slowly, Carlisle sat up. "I'm not too sure. I was hoping Arabelle could shed some light on the situation. But I can tell you what happened, mostly. I was driving home, when the car stalled and came to a stop. I got out to see what was wrong, and when I stepped out of the car, I felt as sense of- wrongness. Evil. Suddenly, I heard a child's scream from the forest, and I ran towards the source.

"When I got there, there were at least twenty men surrounding the body of a young girl- four or five years old at the most. I took a step forward, but before I could do anything they were all over me. Every time one touched my skin, it screamed and I could hear its skin burning, but that didn't stop them from attacking. I threw them off easily, but injuries did little to stop them- they kept coming even without heads or with broken limbs. Eventually, most of them stopped moving, but I don't think they were dead. The child was beyond saving, so I left her there and ran back to the house. But when I got here, I felt a sudden… darkness. Pain. And the next thing I remember is opening my eyes."

Arabelle's expression darkened. "I know what's happened here. Rah'gied. They're coming for me. And for you, too, because you smell like me." She closed her eyes, bending over in pain. A slight whimper escaped her lips. "I don't have time to explain. They'll be here soon, following your trail. I'll take them out, but I can't last long. I won't be myself. So stay back, because you don't want to be hurt. Once they're dealt with, run. Alice, you or Carlisle take me. If I'm flaring, I'm less likely to change you than any of the others." She screwed her eyes shut, obviously fighting off pain. "I'm sorry for this, but this was where I was led. Don't ask me why I'm here because I don't know. And you can't let them get me, because I can't die until after my task is completed."

She cried out, and suddenly her eyes opened. A pleasant smile appeared on her face, her eyes blank. "Why, hello, little ones." She turned to Carlisle. "You look tired, dearest." Arabelle smiled vacantly and waved her arm. A warm breeze wrapped around Carlisle, and he felt his strength return as the wind moved to circle around the room. Music filled the room, coming from no discernable source. Arabelle started to dance, her movements fluid and graceful. She pirouetted and leaped, her own one-person ballet. But her recital was cut short by the door being blasted open, sending smoking pieces of wood into the room.

Arabelle whirled around, fire in her eyes. "You!" she accused, her voice smoldering with anger. "You killed Ihvon. Your kind!" The sky overhead churned and roiled, black clouds rushing in. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled as Arabelle advanced towards the three men at the door. The men were dressed in all black, with a few bold strokes of red. Their hands were covered in ash, and the floorboards under their feet were literally warping and rotting fast enough to see. The one in front let out a gleeful cackle. "That honor is all Terrence's, I'm afraid. But I'm about to move a step up when I bring you back to Ter'sed. Men! I've found little Princess Arabelle, still crying and whining about her stupid Companion."

Arabelle growled and lunged for the doorway, throwing the men outside. The Cullens crowded around the window, entranced as she fought, moving through the Rah'gied like a hurricane through a city. "Shouldn't we help her?" Emmett asked, raring for a fight. Alice shook her head. "No. If we go out there, she'll attack us too. I've already seen it. She can't differentiate between friends and enemies right now."

A loud noise made Esme jump, and she peered out the window to see scorched ground and few of the Rah'gied left. "Don't do well with lightning, do you?" Arabelle taunted, glowing so brightly it hurt Esme's eyes. She laughed as she rammed through the four remaining men, throwing them right and left. Abruptly, her laughter cut off. "I hate you!" she screamed, shaking. "I hate you!" The light shined out of her, burning the men until they disappeared, evaporating into clouds of darkness.

Spent, Arabelle fell unconscious to the ground. Immediately, the Cullen family ran outside to her, except for Alice. Consumed by a vision, Alice stood frozen until Jasper came back for her. Snapping out of it, she ran outside. "Carlisle! We have to leave, now. Everyone, get anything you absolutely cannot live without. Edward, you can't take the piano. They'll ignore the house if we're gone, so it should be fine. Everyone needs to take their own individual vehicles, because we might have to split up. Hurry!"

She paused, her eyes glazing over. "And we need Carlisle's entire library. Something in it is going to help us. Quickly, we don't have much time!" Everyone ran into the house, grabbing treasured possessions and then scrambling to collect all of Carlisle's books and manuscripts. Alice stayed behind with Arabelle, who was lying motionless on the ground, her golden hair spread messily around her.

Sighing, Alice picked Arabelle up, carrying her to the car. Jasper would get the things she needed; they would be coming back, she saw, so she wasn't too worried about it. Letting out a low moan, Arabelle shifted slightly in Alice's arms. "No…" she murmured, shaking her head ever so slightly. "Ihvon…" She whimpered, her brows creasing. "Ihvon?" Gently, Alice set her in the car, and she began to toss and turn. "I can't, don't you understand?" Thrashing violently, she shook her head back and forth, screaming. "I can't and I won't! Not ever! No!"

The symbol on her wrist pulsed wildly as she twisted and shook, burning an intense gold before Arabelle sat up, gasping loudly. "I can't," she panted, her eyes wide. "I won't."

"Won't what?" questioned Alice, curious. Arabelle shook her head slowly, her eyes lifeless. "I can't. I was right, see? I can't live without him. I just can't." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I was right. He shouldn't have died for me. He shouldn't have. He didn't have to. And now we're both dead, because how can I live without my soul?" Arabelle cradled her head in her hands. "What was he thinking?" she moaned. "How could he?"

She turned to Alice. "Don't let him," she pleaded. "Please, don't let him." Alice paused, unsure what to say; Arabelle had apparently slipped back into her confused, mostly-mad state. She was spared from answering by Jasper opening the door and sliding into the driver's seat, dropping a large pile of books in the passenger seat. Alice reached for him, and was rewarded by his hand slipping into hers as he stared deeply into her eyes. She smiled, and he kissed her hand, then turned to face forward, backing the car out of the garage.

* * *

Edward laid a hand on Bella's arm. "No way are we splitting up. You're taking the Vanquish with me. Can you go start the car? I need to talk to Carlisle about something." She nodded and instantly headed for the car, easily catching the keys that Edward tossed at her. He turned to Carlisle, who was waiting for Edward's input. "There's a lot you've missed. Today… Today was strange, to say the least. Arabelle is absolutely crazy, for one thing. Not that you haven't figured that out. But she also has this… strange control over the weather. Alice seemed to think it went along with her moods. And she really does drink sunshine and eat flowers, which is odd all in itself.

"And Alice and Jasper learned a little more about her past today from her ramblings. I'll fill you in when we get to wherever we're headed- Alice is leading the way with her visions. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Glancing around, Edward saw Alice's Porsche idling in the driveway, and lowered his voice so that Carlisle could barely hear it. "There's something… off about Arabelle. I mean, why did we just take her in without even thinking about it? We all wonder about her past, but no one even considers that she could be something bad. I find myself completely incapable of regarding her with even the slightest suspicion.

"I mean, I'm telling you this, but I don't believe it. I can't even consider the possibility. Even Rosalie is in love with her, and we both know she shouldn't be. I just… I think it's strange that we've accepted her so unconditionally. I can't really create a compelling argument for my point, though. I'm…" He trailed off. "I'm not too sure what I'm trying to say here."

Carlisle nodded, understanding. "I was away from her all day, and it seems to me that I think more clearly when I'm not in her presence. I actually had the same thoughts you're trying to have, but I've been thinking about a legend I heard about third or fourth hand when I was staying with the Volturi. I'm not personally familiar with it, but I know it's about a strange race of people who don't actually belong in this world. It's rumored that they are the foundation for human stereotypes of angels. And it makes sense- all white, shimmering skin. All she needs is wings, and I suspect that if she wanted she could have those as well. But if she is, then her intentions are far from evil. She is literally incapable of doing wrong. I believe that what Alice sees helping us is that legend, actually. I've never managed to find any writing on the subject, though, so we'll have to see."

Edward nodded, reassured, then headed for the Vanquish. From Alice's thoughts, they had a long drive ahead of them.

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**AN: thank you oh so much to those of you who reviewed, and thank you everyone for reading. please review and let me know what you think: comments, concerns, suggestions, whatever! next update= as soon as i decide where they're going! lol. never more than a week, no worries.**

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	5. Aralée

**AN: hey hey hey. chapter four is here, people! im sorry if there are any mistakes i didn't catch- i would've devoted more time to editing, but i honestly just couldn't. between cheer, student council (i'm class prez... it's lame. i don't think i'm gonna do it again next year. too much work), ADK (high school sorority), volunteer work (animal shelter, old folks home, battered women's shelter, english as a second language, and teen to teen mentoring!), having a life, and all of my ridiculously hard classes, i'm surprised when i have time to eat. lol.  
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Carlisle smoothly whipped his black Mercedes into the spot beside Alice's car, landing neatly between the lines. He rolled down the window, the air still humid despite the cool night breeze, and looked at Alice in confusion. "Alice, darling, are you sure this is where we need to be? I mean, it's dark right now, but this is Florida. We'll be cooped up inside the hotel all day long." Alice laughed. "That's what I was wondering. But my visions were quite certain. And on the way here, Arabelle had a few moments of lucidity, and she explained that she is stronger where sunlight lives. So Florida it is. And as to being stuck inside, Arabelle assures me that won't be a problem. So we'll see."

Smiling, Carlisle stepped out of the car, as did Esme. "Well, I don't see that we have much choice. I'll get our rooms. Should I get a room for Nessie and Jake quite yet, or will they not make it until tomorrow evening?"

"Get one now. They'll be here in four hours, thirty-five minutes, and sixteen seconds." She grinned. "I love being able to see them. And I love knowing exactly when things will happen, too. This is totally worth all the weird parts." Carlisle chuckled. "I'm not sure how I feel about looking like someone dumped glitter on me yet. Or knowing things without knowing how. For instance, on the way here, we passed a hooker and I somehow knew that she was just trying to support her elderly father and three children. I stopped and gave her money, of course. But still, it was strange."

Alice nodded. "I know exactly what you mean. And it's really weird. But we'll get used to it, I guess. The whole knowing things doesn't bother me nearly as much as the weightlessness. On the ride here, I was literally hovering above the seat. Not enough for a human to see, but more than enough for me to be able to tell." Carlisle frowned. "That hasn't happened to me. If anything, I feel more grounded. I can still move with ease, but I feel as if, say, Emmett tried to knock me over, he'd find it a bigger challenge than he was expecting."

Alice giggled at the image. "We'll have to test that out." A heavy hand landed on her shoulder and she looked up to see Jasper, cradling an unconscious Arabelle in one arm. She smiled up at him and turned to Carlisle. "Go ahead and get our rooms. We'll need five, and make sure they're all together. The man at the desk will tell you that's not possible at first, but once you show him your teeth he'll find them pretty quickly." Laughing, Carlisle threw his bags over his shoulder and walked into the hotel, Esme on his arm.  
Edward and Bella joined Alice and Jasper. "Are you going to keep her with you?" Edward questioned. Alice nodded. "She said it needed to be either me or Carlisle. I'll let Esme have her tomorrow, though. You two go ahead and walk in with Carlisle- bring as many of his books as you can with you. Don't make the humans suspicious, but we have to get them in tonight." Mutely, Edward nodded, and began unloading, but Bella laid a hand on Alice's arm. "Nessie and Jake? Are they okay?"

"They'll be here tonight. Don't worry." Alice assured her. Bella beamed. "So you really can see them now. That's so exciting!" Exhilarated laughter burst from Alice's lips. "You can't even imagine how happy this makes me. I hated not being able to see anything. Hated it! And that's why Nessie and Jake had to leave right away. But now that I can see them…" Bella's bell-like laughter tinkled out as she wrapped Alice in a hug. "I'm so happy for you, Alice. This is wonderful!"

Still grinning, she released Alice and joined her husband unloading books as Emmett and Rosalie sauntered forward. "Hey, small fry," Emmett boomed, ruffling Alice's hair. "Have a nice drive with everyone's favorite crazy?" Rosalie smacked Emmett's arm. "Be nice!" Chuckling good-naturedly, Emmett planted a kiss on Rosalie's lips before turning back to Alice. "Anything we need to do, besides carry in books?" He gestured to his car, which was parked directly behind Carlisle's. "We've got the rest in there." Alice shook her head. "Nope! And Rose, I can already see you complaining about your meager wardrobe. Don't worry about it. We'll get new clothes tomorrow. According to my visions, it will be mysteriously cloudy tomorrow despite weather reports of blinding sunshine. Arabelle is going to be upset about something, and her bad mood is going to rub off on the weather."

Rosalie peered down at Alice curiously. "How do you know it's her?" Alice smiled enigmatically. "I just do." Her expression cleared and she chuckled a bit. "Besides, if you were there with her when she had her little freak out, you would know too. Trust me on it." Rosalie shot her a strange look, then shook her head. "I guess I better trust you. You are the resident psychic, after all." Laughing, Rosalie strolled back to her car to unload books, Emmett moseying behind her.

Alice turned to Jasper, who caught her unspoken message and started for the hotel, still carrying Arabelle. He nodded towards her, a question on his face. Alice shook her head. "I don't see anyone making a fuss." Jasper nodded, slipping his hand into Alice's. She gave his hand a squeeze as they entered the building, then let go so she could pretend to struggle with her bags. Letting out a groan, she heaved them onto one of the helpful little carts found in the lobby. An attendant rushed forward to take care of her bags, but she shook her head. "I've got it." The attendant shot her a disbelieving look, drawing a chuckle from Jasper.

He set his own bag down with unaffected ease, and then adjusted Arabelle so that he was holding her with both arms. Alice moved lightly across the lobby to join Carlisle, pushing the cart in front of her. Carlisle handed over a room key. "You'll keep Arabelle for the night, I trust?" Alice nodded. "You and Esme will take her tomorrow night though. She told me in the car it would be best for us to pass the exposure around. The way she talks, you'd think she was radioactive."

Carlisle smiled and waved Alice on toward her rooms. "Come on, Jazz!" she chirped, still pushing the cart. Jasper laughed and followed her into the elevator. As soon as the golden doors shut behind them, Arabelle's eyes shot open. "Where am I?" she squeaked, panic clear on her face. Jasper shushed her. "We're at the hotel. We're in an elevator." Arabelle jumped out of his arms, but buried her face in his chest. "I don't like elevators," she whispered, her glow pulsing unevenly. "I can feel the walls closing in on me."

Her heart fluttered wildly as the elevator continued to climb. Jasper rubbed her back, attempting to soothe her with little success. Arabelle whimpered, clutching Jasper closer as the elevator shuddered to a stop. Finally, the doors slid open, freeing them from their cage, and Arabelle released Jasper. Looking down, he noticed that his skin and shirt sparkled where she had touched him. He laughed. "Look, Alice. I'm glittery." Alice giggled and ran a finger over the shimmering fabric, but none came off. "You better watch out, Jazz. All the innocent bystanders in the hallway are going to question your masculinity."

Jasper growled playfully and grabbed Alice, throwing her over his shoulder with one hand and pushing the cart out of the elevator with the other. Arabelle let out a brilliant laugh, her eyes sparkling. "I love happy people," she giggled, spinning around in the hallway. "They help Aralée without even trying, you know? And it helps with the pain." Something dark flashed in her eyes, but was quickly replaced by naïve happiness. Smiling softly, Arabelle closed her eyes, and Alice had a sudden vision of her floating up in the air right in the hallway, surrounded by shocked humans. Quickly, she freed herself from Jasper's grip and jumped on Arabelle's back, following her natural instincts to keep Arabelle on the ground.

"It's your turn to give me a piggyback ride!" she cried, a wide smile on her face. The humans' confused stares abated as they realized the newcomers were just a few teenagers, goofing around. Arabelle giggled obliviously, bearing Alice's slight weight with ease. "Okay! But it's my turn next!" She practically skipped down the hallway, coming to a stop by the door to their suite. Alice hopped off Arabelle's back and slid their card in the slot. The door popped open to reveal a lavishly decorated suite.

Alice, Arabelle, and Jasper filed in, Jasper pulling the cart. Alice and Jasper got to work unloading books as Arabelle flitted unhelpfully about the room. Once they were finished, they pushed the cart out into the hallway to be collected, then turned their attentions back to Arabelle. She was perched on top of a bookcase, drawing a picture in the dust and singing to herself. Alice and Jasper exchanged looks. Crazy Arabelle was back with a vengeance.

Arabelle rolled off the wardrobe, dropping down several feet to the floor. She flopped on her back, sighing. "I'm bored," she announced. Alice laughed. Arabelle sounded just like a child sometimes. "How old are you, again?" Arabelle sat up, a tentative lucidity in her eyes. "Older than you," she murmured, "but at the same time, younger. I was born nearly five thousand years ago, but…" She shook her head. "I am barely out of my teens, compared to the rest of my people." Alice nodded. "You look seventeen or eighteen, honestly."

Arabelle smiled. "Well… we don't age like humans do. I am the Princess, so I must remain young. When I become-" she cut off, taking a deep breath. "If I had become Queen, I would have aged to look in my thirties. Your looking-age depends on your responsibilities. A water singer or a dancer, for instance, might remain at the stage I'm in forever. But a teacher or Portal guardian always looks aged." Alice frowned. "Water singer? Portal guardian?"

Arabelle sighed, caught up in memories of her past. "A water singer does just that. They sing to the water, keep it happy and burbling and clean. The water carries their songs, spreading music throughout Aralée. And a Portal guardian simply guards the Portal. He must ask every visitor if they are sure it is the right decision. He's mostly for show, of course. If it is not your time to move on, you simply pass through the Portal unharmed. In Aralée, there are no unplanned deaths, sweeping into our lives. One simply realizes that one's time is done, and makes the choice to move on to the next stage."

Sensing Arabelle was in a talkative mood, Alice pressed on. "What, exactly, is the next stage?"

"Once you pass through the Portal, you simply join God in heaven as one of His eternal servants- an angel. We, like many creatures, are granted our time to enjoy the bounties of a different world. But… Aralée is different. Her people are blessed, and live in a world without sin. But there is no free will." She looked at Alice seriously. "Every single time you make the right decision, it means something. You have overcome evil. But in Aralée, a good decision means nothing. There is no choice. One simply cannot lie or steal or murder. It isn't possible."

She shook her head. "God hates to take away free will. But after the Great Fall, my people begged for him to do so, and He conceded. But when I come here, I am presented with that choice." Her voice dropped to a low whisper. "And it is hard. If I had been willing to slaughter defenseless humans, I could have saved Ihvon." The pain in Arabelle's eyes cut deep into Alice's soul as Arabelle stared her down.

"I do my best, little one. But I sin- I bend others to my will, without their permission. I lie and disguise myself to ease human suspicions. It is both necessary and horrible, and I hate it." She paused, then shook her head. "I could not bring myself to murder. But oh, how I wish I could have, sometimes." The expression of an avenging angel overtook Arabelle's face as she clenched her hands into fists. "There is another people. The Rah'gied, dedicated inhabitants of Ter'sed. They are the opposites of Aralée and her people in every way. And it was they who caused the death of my Companion. They think to sacrifice me at their Altar," she growled, "but they have another thing coming. I will have my revenge if it is the very last thing I do."

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**AN: thank you for reading, dolls. please oh please review and let me know if you like! :]**


	6. Companion

**AN: sup. i know this took an entire week, but i had a retreat this weekend so i couldn't get anything done. but i still got it out in time! so enjoy :]  
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Rain drizzled from a mysteriously dark sky, pitter pattering on the sidewalk in front of Alice. Sighing, she adjusted the umbrella to a more natural looking position, leaning into Jasper as she did so. Rosalie and Emmett trailed just behind, wrapped up in their happy little romantic world. Alice looked up at Jasper, pleading in her eyes. Understanding, he turned to Emmett. "Hey, Em. Alice and I are going in there," gesturing toward a lingerie store with pink frilly things in the window, "so you might not want to come with."

Emmett grimaced and pulled Rosalie in the direction of a different store, its mannequins clothed in black leather. Jasper laughed a little at Rosalie's long-suffering look. Pulling Alice closer, he walked into the store, haphazardly grabbing a few random pieces before slipping into the dressing rooms. Alice's sadness filled the small space, pressing in on Jasper like a noxious gas. He peered down at her, worried. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Alice's face scrunched up, and she didn't fight as Jasper scooped her up into his arms. "I just…" she shook her head. "I don't know why I feel so sad. I mean… there is one thing. But that's not all of it, you know?" Jasper ran a hand up and down Alice's spine. "Why don't you tell me about what you do know?"

Alice sighed. "I've just been thinking… I mean, Arabelle is a creature of sunlight. She feeds off it, lives in it, practically bathes in it. And she is so… so essentially good. How can we be good if we are cursed to live in darkness? I can't even step out of the hotel on a sunny day!" Her eyes were filled with longing as she stared up at Jasper. "I've never felt trapped by this life, Jasper. But Arabelle… she's so free, even with her crippling pain and insanity. She even looks normal to humans. It's just… I don't really know how to say it."

Jasper nodded, understanding. "It's a part of who we are, Alice. We make sacrifices so we can fit in with humans. Obviously, Arabelle doesn't have that option. I can't really imagine her ever sitting down at the cafeteria table, if you know what I mean. She can't live her life like we do. She has other responsibilities- guiding stories, or whatever it is she's always talking about. Fighting the Rah'gied. She can go out into sunlight, sure, but she can never have time just for herself. Her whole life belongs to her people. She apparently doesn't even have her own soul, if this Ihvon person is more than just a figment of her imagination."

Alice nodded, cheering up the tiniest bit. "You're right, of course. But that's not why I'm so sad. I don't know why I feel like this." Jasper paused, then laid a hand on her arm. "I know you usually like for me to let you work out your emotions on your own. But since there's no good reason for this sadness… I could help you out. It would make me feel better, too." Alice nodded, and Jasper relaxed the atmosphere with a relieved smile.

Her strange depression gone, Alice laughed and kissed Jasper on the cheek. He grinned, holding up something lacy and blue. "Feel like shopping?"

* * *

Esme paced helplessly around her room, unsure how to help her newfound daughter. Trying to distract herself, she abandoned her useless movement and headed for the kitchen. Nessie was busily cooking pancakes for Jake, who could easily devour an entire batch. "Hey Grandma. Whatcha doin'?" Esme smiled worriedly, her eyes tight. "I'm trying to watch Arabelle while Alice is out. But I'm having trouble. She's just rocking back and forth, crying. And she screams every time I get close. I need a break."

"Well, why don't you take over the cooking? Jake and I will see if we can help." Esme nodded wearily, taking the spatula from Nessie's outstretched hand. Nessie flashed her a bright smile and set off to fetch Jake.

She found Jake in the living room, watching television. "Jake, Grandma needs some help taking care of their… guest. Arabelle. I said we'd give it a shot." Instantly, Jake was up, planting a kiss on the top of Nessie's head before sweeping her into his arms, carrying her bridal style into Esme's room. Her bronze curls swung crazily as she giggled and twisted in his grasp, pretending to escape. She finally fell from his arms and onto the bed with a surprised shriek, quickly followed by laughter.

The happy moment ended, though, as the couple became aware of a low moaning from the corner of the room. Slowly, Jake approached the shaking figure lighting up the walls.

Arabelle shook her head, rocking back and forth and hugging her knees to her chest. "No," she moaned, her voice as beautiful as ever but noticeably ragged. "Ihvon." Nessie took a tentative step forward, but was halted by a wild screech. Jake continued to creep forward, seemingly unnoticed by the stunning fallen angel. Slowly, he came to a stop beside her, calmly sitting beside her.

She ignored him, continuing her moaning and rocking. "Ihvon," she chanted. "Ihvon Ihvon Ihvon." Gradually, Jake brought his arms around Arabelle, wrapping her in a tight embrace that halted the rocking. For a few precious seconds, it seemed that she would calm down, but that hope was furiously dashed as she exploded. "I can't do this!" she screamed, sobbing. "I can't! I can't live without him. Why, God, why? How can you ask of me what I cannot give?" Jake stroked her hair and pulled her closer, trying to exude a calming influence.

Arabelle turned on him, her pupils entirely black. "Imagine living without her!" she challenged, pointing at Nessie. "At least you'd still have a soul, broken and mangled as it would be! You ask too much of me! This is too much," she cried, weeping passionately into Jake's chest. "I can't do it. I just can't." Mutely, Jake rubbed her back, waiting for her to continue. She raised her head, her face tearstained. "And I have to," she whispered, her eyes intense. "I am Princess. I am Ah'lyah. I must serve my people unto my final breath. But how can I? How can a broken leader possibly spread joy and happiness and love and kindness?" She shook her head fiercely, her voice rising. "How can I, I who cannot even control her own mind, restore order where there is chaos? Tell me that, Jacob Black!"

Jake kept silent, just letting Arabelle vent. Catching Nessie's worried gaze, he flashed her a reassuring smile as Arabelle sobbed against his arm. "I wasn't made for this," she moaned. "He's my Companion, my soul, my heart. My whole life. We were never meant to exist without each other. The bond doesn't work like that. And, oh, it hurts. It feels like someone is literally ripping my heart out of my chest, Jake. It hurts so much."

Arabelle went silent, but Jake was curious. "Tell me more about this bond. Your Companion."

She sighed, her eyes softening as she slipped into good memories. "Ihvon… he was everything. He was older than me, you know. He was a little over two thousand years at my birth. I can't imagine how he possibly survived that waiting period- we were the first paired Ah'lyah to ever be born at different times. But it was a blessing in disguise, because he could teach me everything, because he knew so much. He could guide me and protect me in the way only a Companion could manage. And he was royalty, so he understood my duties as Princess. My devotion. He could share.

"I remember the day we found each other- the absolute most beautiful day of my entire life. I was in the garden, playing with the palace children. We had two, the most in a very long time. There are perhaps four or five in Aralée at any given time, because having children is hard. A child cannot come into our world until another leaves it. But I digress. I was in the garden with the children, trying not to be miserable- the years before you find your Companion are always miserable. But I felt a sudden presence in my mind- it was very strange.

"My spirit seemed to get lighter, and I turned around to come face to face with Ihvon. Somehow, I knew everything about him, from his favorite color to the types of flowers he'd eaten for breakfast. His thoughts entered my mind and I just knew that the misery was over. My life would be perfect as long as I was with him.

"It was never hard to adjust to, though I think for a human it would be impossible. We shared thoughts and feelings at all times- our minds were not separated from each other at all. And if someone laid a hand on his arm, I could feel the same touch on my own. We… we flowed. Fit together perfectly.

"Eventually, of course, we had to travel here, to the old world. All Ah'lyah, royalty or not, have duties here. We are the ones chosen from my world to come here and make things go right, for the peace on Aralée depends on the old world's happiness. But everything was just fine until those filthy Rah'gied ambushed us and ruined it all! I was happy, happy for barely four thousand years!" Unshed tears welled in Arabelle's eyes. "That sounds so long, to humans. But it was but a blink of an eye, for my people. I am barely out of childhood, and here I am, soulless and purposeless."

Trembling, Arabelle curled into Jake's arms, pain written all over her face. "I just want to go home and pass through the Portal. Join a world with Ihvon in it, and leave all this pain behind. But first, I must discover and complete my task, whatever it may be. One final story to guide before I can finally die. One more."

Gently, Jake shifted Arabelle in his arms. "I think… I think there is a reason why you were drawn to the Cullens. Could they have something in store?" Arabelle shook her head with finality. "No. Their story is closed. They've reached their happily ever after, and so have you and Renesmee. No, there is something else here that I am missing. And I can't stay myself long enough to figure it out. The pain is so great, my mind is forced to retreat, very much against my will."

Jake thought for a few seconds. Suddenly, an idea hit him. "Alice was talking about Carlisle's library, how they can't find whatever it is that's going to help them. Maybe that's why you're here. Maybe whatever it is, it's meant for you." Arabelle gasped. "You could be right. She had the vision after she'd been changed, so it could have easily involved me. And it would help the Cullens after all, because I could leave and let them return to their lives."

Jake leaned back, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. "Admit it. I'm a genius." For a second, Arabelle looked as if she might laugh, but the moment passed when her eyes began to cloud over. "Goodbye, Jacob. I shall see you soon, I'm sure. My moments of lucidity are becoming more and more frequent." With a sigh, she closed her eyes.

Her glow pulsed and writhed, lifting Arabelle slightly off the floor. When her eyes opened, Jake saw that they were pleasantly vacant, not a trace of thought in them. "Why, hello, dearie. I don't recall ever meeting you before. Perhaps you would like to talk over pancakes? I can smell them being made in the kitchen."

Jake and Nessie exchanged looks before standing up and guiding Arabelle into the kitchen. She floated happily through the rooms, throwing in the occasional pirouette. Taking a seat on the floor, Arabelle began happily chattering with the bottom of the fridge, sending shimmering white clouds into the kitchen every time she laughed.

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**AN: by now, you've gotten a rather large amount of info on Arabelle and her home. there's more to come, but if you're still super confused, you really should go back and take a closer look. especially at this one and ch.4. anywho, thank you all ever so much for reading, and if you have something to say, please feel free to review! :]**


	7. Truth

**AN: chapter six is here, people! :]  
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The moment she walked in the door, the strange sadness that had plagued Alice all day disappeared. Arabelle's tinkling laugh filled the air around Alice, her bright glow flaring in welcome, leaving shimmering trails on Alice's skin. "Welcome home, Alice!" she sang, her eyes bright. "I missed you! And you missed me too, I can tell." Alice gave a bemused chuckle. "How can you be so sure?"

Arabelle smiled condescendingly. "You smelled sad when you were in the hallway. But once the shimmers touched you, you were happy again! So you must have missed me." Alice paused. "What do you mean?"

Laughter burst forth from Arabelle, who was floating on her back beside the table. Slowly, her eyes started to clear, and she became solemn. "It's part of who I am. Light sticks to me, follows me around. That's why I don't have a shadow. But with the light comes things like good thoughts and feelings and just good in general. Happiness. Peace. I am who I am- it doesn't affect me. But for people who aren't used to it, it has… weird side effects. Like a drug or something. The more time you spend with me, the harder it is to get away.

"But you don't have to worry too much, Alice, because I've changed you. When I leave, you'll be miserable for a day or two or three. But it will pass. The unchanged, however, won't do well at all. Which is why I need to limit my time with them. And Alice, you and Carlisle need to take me to look at the library tonight. It's okay if I'm not myself; I'll come to eventually. But we need to find whatever it is soon, before the rest of your family must be changed so I can leave without bringing them harm."

Alice nodded, a pensive expression on her face. "Why don't we go now? Carlisle has everything set up in the sitting room, since the suite doesn't have a study. He's in there, I can hear him rustling pages." Arabelle jumped up and swept into the makeshift study, instantly illuminating the windowless room. "Hello, Carlisle, dearest," she trilled, her undisguised voice completely entrancing. She motioned for Alice to sit down, picking up a book herself. "Shall we?"

They searched through every book several times over before finally losing hope. "Maybe it's hidden in the cover?" Alice suggested, grasping at straws. Carlisle halfheartedly started to feel at covers, but Arabelle stopped him. "No. I know that's not it. I have a feeling… that we haven't seen the book yet. Alice, try to focus." Alice closed her eyes, bidding a vision to come to mind. A picture started to form but faded out, losing structure almost immediately. "I'm losing it," she growled, desperately trying to hold the elusive vision in place.

Arabelle sighed, and instantly Alice felt rejuvenated and supported. Without opening her eyes, she knew Arabelle's light was surrounding her, strengthening her. With a gargantuan effort, Alice finally brought the vision forward. "It's bright blue," she blurted out. "And small. There are jewels on the cover. They're real. The title is… I can't tell. I'm not getting a title, just an impression of one. It's gold." Alice's eyes were forced open by the sudden absence of comforting glow. "Is that enough for you to identify it, Carlisle?"

Carlisle started to shake his head, but then stopped. "I know what book you're talking about! It's a journal of some sorts, I think, but it's in a language I've never been able to identify. Aro presented it to me as a farewell present when I left." Arabelle leaned forward. "Do you know where this book is?" Carlisle nodded. "I've always had this strange… protective feeling about it. Like it shouldn't be in certain hands. I had it in a secret drawer at home, but I put it in my suitcase when we left."

"Go get it, quickly," Arabelle urged. Carlisle dashed out of the room and was back within the same second, the book held in his hands. Arabelle gasped, her eyes shining. "It really is…" she murmured. "I can't believe it."

"What?" Alice prodded. "What is it?"

"The very first Princess… she was unusually gifted. She had visions, often about the past or present. But occasionally she would catch a glimpse of the future, and she wrote every single thing she saw down in the journal her Companion made for her. But it has been lost for ages… literally long enough that we'd stopped looking for it. Oh, Carlisle. This is amazing! I can't imagine how one of your kind got a hold of it."

Carlisle smiled. "You're welcome to it. Keep it- it's of no use to me." Arabelle flashed a blinding smile, clutching the book to her chest. "I must start on it immediately, while there is still time. And Carlisle, you might like to know the language it's written in. It's our native tongue, which is not like your human grunt languages but more of a flowing medley of notes. Your tone and pitch combines with open vowel sounds. We can all speak human languages, but you'd be amazed how much easier ours is. It's a little like playing a piano with your voice.

"It's hard to write down, though, so we have a more set form for writing. It's a mixture of symbols and musical notes and our own unique alphabet. Only one of the Ah'lyah or High Rah'gied could have translated it. But in the wrong hands, it would have been an absolute disaster. You did well to keep it hidden, Carlisle." Carlisle smiled. "Thank you." Alice darted in to give Arabelle a hug. "I hope you find what you need in there," she murmured, then danced out of the room, pulling Carlisle with her.

Carlisle sat down with Esme, his grandchild sitting at his feet with Jake. "How was your day, Nessie? We haven't gotten to be with you a lot lately." Nessie grinned. "It was pretty fun. Jakey here made a new friend." She giggled as Jake growled and pretended to push her. Laughing, he looked up at Carlisle. "Arabelle had a meltdown, so I sat with her. And she was normal for a little while, but then she went sorta crazy. Followed me around all day. It was… odd. Esme said that she gets weird like that though."

Carlisle nodded. "I'm afraid the stress of losing her Companion has caused her to lose a good bit of control over her mind. She has good moments and bad ones. But she's sane more and more these days. I believe she may be on the path to recovery. Let's all hope that something in that book can help her move on."

At that moment, Emmett and Rosalie came through the door. "Hey, everyone! We figured we'd come hang out with the family for a little while. Edward and Bella are being party poopers, though. They want _couple time. _I can't imagine why. It's not like little Eddie's gonna get much done," Emmett announced. Edward appeared behind Emmett in an instant. "I heard that!" Rosalie laughed out loud as Emmett rolled his eyes like an overgrown child. "Well, I would certainly hope so. Considering that I was pretty much yelling. Your hearing must be suffering, although I can't imagine what could be doing that. Since you and Bella don't really get much action, definitely not anything loud."

Bella, who had shown up with Edward, shook her head and put a hand to her forehead. "He finally beats me at arm-wrestling and hasn't shut up since." Emmett laughed and wrapped an arm around Bella. "That's the way it goes, baby sis. I'm top man again and no way am I gonna let you ever forget it." Esme laughed and motioned for her children to join her. "Come on, let's watch some TV together or something. Jasper, could you find us a movie, perhaps?"

Jasper complied and the Cullen family settled down to watch a round of _27 Dresses_- Jasper's turn to pick the channel or movie tended to be just an extension of Alice's turn, as he always picked whatever she wanted to watch.

The movie ended, and most of the Cullens wandered off to their own rooms. Alice, though, stopped Jake. "Stay here. I can see you with Arabelle, later. She's going to need you. Nessie, could you wait for him in your room? I fear that you won't be too much help." Jake gave a start. "You can see me?" Alice grinned and nodded. "Oh yes. Arabelle's glow has some wonderful side effects. My vision's expanded to include everyone." Jake swore playfully. "Now how am I going to trick you?" Alice laughed and started for the door, Jasper right beside her.

Suddenly, a loud, piercing scream erupted from the study. Alice rushed in, followed closely by Jake. "Nessie, Jazz, you need to get out of here. She can sense you, and too many of us will only make it worse." They found Arabelle on the floor, screaming, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No! NO! It wasn't supposed to be this way! It wasn't!" Furiously, she was attempting to rip the journal into pieces with her bare hands, but every time she ripped it, the book merely repaired itself. Alice darted forward and removed the journal from Arabelle's possession.

Deprived of the book, Arabelle began scratching at her own arms and face, her golden blood spilling out in a fountain of light. Horrified, Jake scooped her into his arms, holding her tight enough to prevent any more self-harm. Struggling fiercely, she continued to scream, sobbing desperately. "NO!"

A knock sounded at the door. "Ma'am? Ma'am, are you alright?" Jake panicked. "What do we do?" he whispered to Alice. For a brief second, she closed her eyes, then she opened them, grimacing. "Knock her out," she whispered back. "Just hit her as hard as you can on the back of her head. It won't hurt her, it'll just keep her unconscious for about five minutes." A pained expression on his face, he raised his fist and brought it down on top of her head, using all the strength he could muster. She slumped to the floor and Alice quickly rolled her out of sight. "Ma'am? Ma'am, I'm going to have to come in and check on you."

Alice swore, yanking off Jake's shirt and mussing his hair. "Unbutton your jeans," she commanded, slipping her own pants off. "Hang on, I'm fine!"

"I'd like to see you were all right myself, ma'am, if you don't mind."

"Okay, I'll be right there!"

Cursing like a sailor, Alice undressed with vampire speed, throwing a blanket around herself. "Try to look like you were having mind-blowing sex, if you don't mind. Put an arm around me. Look cocky." She ran a hand through her own hair and dragged him towards the door, getting there just as the employee opened it. His mouth dropped open at the sight of her and Jake growled, forcing the man's gaze back up to Alice's face. "Are you sure you're all right, ma'am? We got reports of screaming and it sounded pretty bad."

Alice laughed throatily, leaning into Jake. "Oh, I'd say I'm doing fairly well." He smirked at her and ran a hand up her side. "I'd been hoping you'd say that." The man squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm going to have to ask you to keep it down, then. You don't want to scare the other guests." Alice winked at him, running a hand along the edge of Jake's pants. "No problem. We can always get out the gag, I suppose." Jake gave a deep chuckle and slipped a hand down to Alice's waist. "Well if we're done here, I'd like to get back to business, if you don't mind." The man turned bright red and backed away a bit as Jake gave a possessive growl. "Of- of c-course not, sir," he stuttered, moving hurriedly off.

Jake quickly shut and locked the door behind him. Alice sighed in relief. "Too bad you're a werewolf, Jake. You could've had a bright future in acting. If it weren't for that little bit at the end, he would've come in here and found Arabelle." Jake laughed, buttoning his pants and slipping his shirt back on, then turning around to give Alice some privacy. "You were pretty good there yourself, Alice. I mean, 'We can always get out the gag?' Can you say, epic?"

Alice giggled, but her amusement was cut short by a groan from the study. "Do me a favor and keep her mouth covered this time, Jake." Jake nodded seriously as he picked her up, forming a sort of straightjacket with his arms. Her head flopped around as she slowly came to, but Alice supported it with one hand, stroking her hair with the other. Moaning, Arabelle finally opened her eyes a tiny bit, then forced them all the way open. Alice tensed, waiting for the inevitable scream, but Arabelle merely sighed sadly. "I am sorry. I lost control for a few minutes there."

Jake relaxed and released her arms, allowing her to curl into his chest. "Do you want to talk about it?" Alice questioned, rubbing Arabelle's arm comfortingly. She shook her head. "No, I do not. But I shall tell you anyway, because it caused you so much distress." Arabelle's eyes tightened and she sniffed. "In the book… In the book… Princess Lissandra had many visions. Several, in fact, were about me. I got to one… it was… it was horrible. It was about me… it was about Ihvon. It said…" she trailed off, obviously fighting back sobs. "It said that it was meant to be. Because of out differing ages. It said that Ihvon had to die first, was destined to be murdered by those brutes. He may have given up his soul willingly, but he wouldn't have had to if it hadn't been for those filthy Rah'gied. But Princess Lissandra knew it would happen! She knew, and she said that was how it was supposed to be!"

Arabelle shook her head violently, clutching her hands to her head. "It can't be true, but I know it has to be. But how? How could my God do this to me? He made us as one soul! Why does he expect me to give what I cannot?" She was sobbing openly now, clinging to Jake. "And the worst part is," she gasped through sobs, "is that Companions must always live the exact same number of years. That means I have over _two thousand years _to go." She burrowed deeper into Jake. "I can't take this," she moaned.

And with that, she was gone, her silver eyes fading to a dead black, her glow wrapping around her to make her untouchable.

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**AN: i would like to give a great big fat kiss and a thanks to my reviewers, because you let me know that i'm moving this story in the right direction. also, thank you to everyone who reads, because i'm always grateful to those who take time out of their day to look at my story. **

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	8. War

**AN: hello! i took my time, but i got this out. we've gotten about halfway through the story, i think. it depends on how i want to end it. anyways, this is gonna be a major turning point. it's an important chapter!  
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Jake frowned worriedly as he carried Arabelle's limp form to the sitting room's bay window, laying her down in the pool of light beneath it. Her skin sparkled eagerly, her glow pulsing, but her eyes remained vacant. Her golden hair soaked up the sunlight, becoming even more brilliant and vibrant as her eyes turned into liquid sunshine. The marking on Arabelle's wrist glowed and shimmered, and her wan skin darkened, but still, she did not respond. She lay motionless, a dead mind in a beautiful shell.

Sighing, Jake turned to Nessie. "I don't know what's wrong with her. She's been like this for days. I'd hoped that the sunlight would help her wake up." Nessie rubbed his back soothingly, leaning her head onto his shoulder. "At least she looks a little healthier. Maybe she just needs time." Jake started to reply, but was cut off by a loud tapping at the glass. Looking out the window, he came face to face with a hummingbird, accompanied by a flower-bearing hawk. The hummingbird's beady, intelligent eyes bore into Jake's. "I think they want in," Nessie murmured. When Jake did not move, the bird tilted his head, as if examining a bug, and tapped impatiently on the glass.

Laughing, Jake thrust the window open. The hawk immediately dropped the flowers beside Arabelle's face and then darted out the window. Chirping merrily to itself, the hummingbird proceeded to dip his bill into a flower and then shove it between Arabelle's tightly closed lips. "That's disgusting," Edward declared, having just come in from hunting with Emmett. "It's throwing up nectar into her mouth."

Emmett's deep, booming laugh rumbled through the condo they had rented, shaking the floor a little. The laughter was infectious, and soon the entire family was at least giggling. The very air seemed to brighten, and soon a small smile appeared on Arabelle's face, although she still did not wake.

Suddenly, Alice let out a sharp gasp from the kitchen. The Cullens crowded around her as she swayed and shook, consumed completely by a vision. She let out a whimper as she dropped to her knees, cradling her head. Jasper reached for her, but some sort of invisible barrier was separating her from the family.

Bella cried out as Edward dropped to the ground, his face twisted in some indescribable emotion. She gathered him to her, stroking his face. "Edward?"

Alice stared straight ahead, transfixed, then let out a low moan as she slumped to the floor. The barrier disappeared and Jasper scooped her into his arms, holding her tightly. "Alice," he whispered, his voice strained. "Alice."

"He's coming," she whispered back. "He's coming, but they're coming first."

"What do you mean? Who's coming? Alice? Alice, come back to me!" Jasper was frantic, furiously shaking Alice in a futile attempt to wake her up.

Edward moaned as he came to, sitting up slowly. His eyes were tight with pain. Jasper rushed to his side. "What happened? Why is Alice unconscious? How?" Edward shook his head. "I couldn't understand the vision. There was something oily, black, followed by burst of light so bright I couldn't even look at it, except I had to. The light… did something, I don't know what, and I don't remember anything else before just now. And my head feels like it's being crushed."

"Can you tell what's wrong with Alice?" Edward shook his head. "She's not thinking anything- her mind is just blank. She'll probably wake in just a few seconds, like I did." Jasper cradled Alice, tense and jumpy.

Suddenly, a loud squawking erupted from the sitting room, and Emmett rushed in to find the hummingbird and hawk angrily defending Arabelle from a skinny, strangely scentless and noiseless man. Every time the man reached for her, the two birds would fly at him, ferociously ripping at his skin. It took Emmett less than half a second to take in the scene and decide to rip the man in two. Snarling, he picked the man up, ignoring his hisses and fruitless attempts to stab him. With a low growl, Emmett tore the man's head off, then disposed of him the way he would a vampire. Better safe than sorry, he decided.

By the time he was finished, the entire family had holed up in the sitting room with him, Jasper and Jake holding an unconscious Alice and Arabelle, respectively. Edward, his eyes still tight, rubbed his head tiredly. "We need to get out of the house and onto the beach. It's private, so we should have no troubles from humans. Alice said "they" are coming, so there's no telling how many or if they'll be friendly, although somehow, I doubt they will be. And we don't want to be caught inside the house unawares."

Grimly, the Cullens filed outside. Alice and Arabelle were situated in the middle of the group. For two or three minutes, there was only the crash of the waves against the shore and the harsh cries of seabirds. The cries got closer, and Emmett looked up to realize they were headed straight for them. From the bushes and sand, animals and bugs alike crawled to the scene. Edward frowned. "They're… thinking. Sort of. Not quite a thought, but more of a… strong feeling. They're here to protect Arabelle."

Emmett guffawed. "Nice to know the bugs are on our side, huh?"

Suddenly, the sky clouded over as the Cullens were surrounded. The animals rushed the men like the one that had attacked Arabelle, burying them in a sea of fur and teeth and claws. But the Rah'gied stayed where they were, sneering at the Cullens.

There must have been thousands of them, each one reeking of sweat and greed and pure, unadulterated hatred. An intense evil seemed to exude from their bodies, turning the sky and ground ashen. For a second, everyone was still.

With a roar, Emmett charged, and the battlefield exploded. Lightning sizzled in the air, haphazardly striking Rah'gied. Jake, in his wolf form, tore into the filthy men, spitting out the nasty black bile they had for blood. A fire danced in the middle of the field, unbidden by any living thing.

Edward and Bella stood guard over their insensible family members, desperately attempting to protect them from the endless waves of attackers. A Rah'gied, one eye gouged out of its socket, waved a rusty, blood-soaked pike in their direction. "The Princess! I found 'er!"

The other Rah'gied turned their attention from the rest of the Cullens and rushed Edward and Bella, hooting and hollering. Jasper barked out orders. "Nessie and Jake, you take right. Carlisle, Esme, take left. Rose and Emmett, with me. We're going to run at the center back of the mob and push through to Edward and Bella. Everyone else, you need to pick off as many as you can while they're not looking." Gravely, they did as Jasper commanded, pushing through the strange weariness that was weighing them down.

For what seemed like hours, the Cullens tore through the Rah'gied, intent on protecting the unconscious in their midst. They were separated, each family member surrounded by their own personal demons as the Rah'gied were overwhelming Edward and Bella. Jasper snarled as he ripped the Rah'gied to pieces, tossing men left and right.

Suddenly, the heavens tore open, brilliant light blazing down onto the sand. The clouds whirled and the ocean roared as the Rah'gied sizzled into nothingness, disappearing. The Cullens fell to their knees, unable to comprehend what was happening. A low, rumbling voice boomed from above. "Do not be afraid, children." Slowly, the speaker descended, coming to a stop several feet above the ocean.

The Cullens stared. They could not tell if the golden-haired man was a thousand feet tall or just ten; either way, he stretched to completely fill their sight. He was dressed in a white robe, with huge, golden wings stretching out from his back. The feathers were evanescent, moving from one spot to another, blinking in and out of existence. He was wonderful, yet at the same time, terrible. Light erupted from his fingertips as he pointed at Alice. "Wake up, little one."

Groaning, she sat up, rubbing her head. "What happened?"

He smiled benignly. "I apologize. I sent signals to see if they would wake Arabelle up, but you intercepted them. The language of the angels is not for the minds of Earth-walkers. Edward only caught them secondhand, so he was not affected as badly." He looked at her oddly. "You've been changed. I knew she'd changed you a little, of course, but I hadn't realized how great the change was. You shouldn't be able to look at me for this long."

Alice laughed, her voice reverberating strangely. "I think this was you, actually. Carlisle can hardly look up." Her eyes sparkled as rose off the ground. "Plus, I'm floating a lot more than I did before." The angel laughed, then spoke again. Alice noticed with a jolt that he did not open his mouth to speak; his voice simply appeared. "I have come to wake up my Princess, little one. Please, bring her to me."

Alice obeyed instantly; there was no refusing his compelling tone. For a second, the angel simply cradled Arabelle, gently running his fingers through her hair. Then he opened his mouth and breathed on her face, sending out a vibrant silver mist that pulsed and grew like a living thing.

Arabelle's eyes opened slowly, teardrops already formed. She stared into the angel's eyes. "Ihvon," she whispered, her voice a soft caress. "Ihvon." He smiled broadly, cupping her face with one hand. "Arabelle. Princess." She brought both of her hands up to hold his wrists, seemingly unfazed by the intense light shining out of him.

Ihvon gently kissed her forehead, still holding her tightly. "Arabelle, you can't succumb to the pain any longer," he murmured. "I know what you feel like, darling. How do you think I felt before you were born? But I knew that one day I would find you. And you, love, know that one day we will be together again." He kissed the tears on her cheeks. "But right now, you have one last story to guide." Coming to rest on the ground, he laid her down. "Yours."

He breathed on her face again, and her eyes closed. Ihvon turned to Alice. "She'll be back in a couple of hours. I didn't want her to go through me leaving again, so I put her to sleep."

Tentatively, Carlisle stepped forward. "Is there any way… any way we can help her? Nothing we've done has seemed to help at all."

Ihvon shook his head. "She must push through the worst of it on her own. It will be hard. Do you remember the pain of your change?" Carlisle nodded. Ihvon gave a sad smile. "It's worse."

With a sigh, Ihvon pulled Arabelle into his arms one last time. "I love you," he whispered, briefly touching his lips to hers. Waving his arm, he sent a flood of golden, shimmering particles to surround her.

He turned to Alice. "Alice, I hereby release you and the rest of the Cullens from the pain her departure will give you. You shall not be addicted to the light for you shall have your own." He waved an arm again, eliciting a soft glow from each of the Cullens. "Humans will not see it. You have done much good, children, and you deserve a reward. From now on, light can be your home. Your shimmer shall remain unseen by Earthly eyes."

Alice grinned. "You mean we can go outside in the sunlight now?" Ihvon nodded. A joyous laugh burst from Alice's lips, tinkling like bells. "Thank you!"

Ihvon smiled generously as he began his ascent back into heaven, rising up on a gleaming cloud of light. Right before he disappeared completely, Edward felt a voice reverberating in his mind. "There is salvation for all God's creatures, young one."

With a great burst of light, Ihvon was gone, and the Cullens emerged from their stupor. "Wow," Nessie breathed, clinging to a very human-and-still-quite-naked Jake. "I can't believe it." The family sat in awe for a few precious seconds before Emmett ruined the moment. "Jake, put some clothes on. No one wants to see you naked except Nessie." He winked at Edward, who grimaced. "Was that really necessary, Emmett?"

Emmett grinned. "Oh, yes, my virginal little Eddie. It was most definitely necessary." Edward rolled his eyes at Emmett's ridiculous comment, then stood up and = headed towards the house, Bella on his arm. "Come on, everyone. Let's take Arabelle inside and get cleaned up. We're filthy." Laughing and joking, the family got up and started for the condo, Jasper carrying Arabelle.

Far away, an angel smiled, and the sun came out from behind the clouds.

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**AN: finally, we can move towards healing instead of just being horribly, horribly miserable all the time. yay! please, review and let me know what you thought! and if you're confused or have questions, feel free to leave said questions in a review/pm me. i'll respond either way. thank you! :]**


	9. Awake

**AN: hello, people! chapter eight is here! just so you know, i'm going on a mission trip this week. i'll be in the appalachian mountains- no cell phone service, no internet, no computers. i'll be back about noon saturday but i may or may not be able to get an entire new chapter out within just a couple hours. so i may have to break my one-week rule. but don't worry, i won't keep you waiting long. enjoy!  
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Arabelle yawned as she came to, letting out a small sigh of contentment as she felt sparkling light tickling her skin. For a moment, she simply basked in the warm, delicious feeling, then slowly opened her eyes.

A butterfly was perched on her nose, gently beating its pale peach wings. Arabelle laughed, startling it off her nose and into her hair, where it rested like a jewel in her golden mane. Grinning, she looked around, taking in her surroundings. She felt as if she were truly awake for the first time in a very long while.

Alice laid a small, pale hand on her arm. "How are you feeling?" Arabelle smiled and opened her mouth, ready to put the beautiful bubbly feeling inside her to words, when all of a sudden it hit her.

Ihvon was dead.

Dead.

The whole world seemed to darken as she cried out, ever-ready tears budding in the corners of her eyes. Alice was a shadow in another world, her voice reaching Arabelle as if through a long tunnel. "Arabelle! Arabelle, you can't do this again. Come back, Arabelle. Ihvon wants you to come back." Shaking and shivering, Arabelle forced herself out of the deep well of grief she was falling into. "It hurts," she whispered. "Why do you think I've been gone all these months?"

"Months? You've only been with us a few weeks," Alice questioned.

Arabelle sniffled and kept talking, desperately trying to keep herself from the dangerous spiral of depression and denial she'd been in. "I was… bad, at first. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't talk. I could see, but everything was so dark… shadows everywhere, all the time. The Volturi found me, after I'd destroyed Terrence. I didn't have the will to resist… they took me back to their palace in Volterra. I guess they hoped to use me for something. One day, though, I just snapped. All of a sudden I could see and I was angry, so angry, and suddenly everything started crumbling and falling. Then the grief hit me, and I felt a pull. I followed it, and ended up with you."

Alice frowned. "You were with the Volturi?" Arabelle nodded. "Don't worry about it. Earth-walkers can't hurt me. And the next time you have a problem with them, I'll be there to help out. I don't like them."

Alice laughed a little at Arabelle's childish frankness, then pulled her up. "Come on, Arabelle. Let's get inside. We've got to get all our stuff together; we're leaving in the morning." A bright grin spread across Alice's face as she added, "And it's gonna be sunny!"

Arabelle smiled. "I knew your aura was different. You're a sun-walker now, love!" Inhaling deeply, Arabelle wrapped Alice in a hug. "You smell lovely. Like Aralée. You've been changed." Alice nodded. "Ihvon changed all of us."

Arabelle glided towards the house, a peaceful smile on her face even as she fought the black hopelessness threatening to swallow her whole. She could not allow herself to fall in that hole again; she must stay herself, if only for Ihvon's sake. Cautiously, she slid the back door open a crack and peeked through.

Instantly, the Cullens crowded around her. "Arabelle! Arabelle, are you okay?" She gave a shaky smile, searching out Jake's hand. He squeezed, providing the support she needed. "Hi. I'm here, now." Carlisle smiled gently, wrapping her into a hug. He understood what bypassed the others; that before, she had never truly been herself, and that now, she was ready to pick up the pieces and accept a life without her soul.

He patted her on the back and released her, and she flashed a grateful smile at him. Gradually, she forced herself to push thoughts of Ihvon to the back of her mind and simply enjoy the wonderful atmosphere around her; the love, joy, kindness, understanding. The acceptance. All the emotions that made Aralée rejoice and thrive. All the emotions that she, as Princess, was responsible for creating and spreading. All the emotions that she had not felt in so long they felt almost foreign.

Emmett came up to her, dwarfing her small frame, and ruffled her hair as if she were some sort of family pet. "Feeling better, Arabelle?" She nodded, smiling at his gesture. Looking around, she began to see the Cullens with new eyes. She could see the bonds that tied them together, the love and happiness radiating off of them. It occurred to her that the Cullens could support Aralée single-handedly with the pure intensity of their emotions.

She sighed. "I cannot stay with you, much longer. Ihvon said that I must live my story now; I must discover what that is." Esme laid a hand on her arm. "You don't have to leave just yet. Come back home with us, spend a little time recovering. Finish that journal. Then maybe you'll have a better idea of where you're going." Arabelle started to protest, but was overridden by pleas from all the Cullens. Laughing, she succumbed. "Alright. But I can't stay for long. I've disrupted your lives long enough."

She smiled appreciatively as Carlisle handed her Princess Lissandra's journal. She started to thank him, but a tapping caught her attention. Frowning, she moved to the window where the insistent tapping originated. Peering through the window, she realized it was a hummingbird, and let it in. Immediately, it made itself comfortable on her shoulder, its emerald green body and vivid purple wings contrasting beautifully with her skin and hair. She let out a delighted laugh as it made itself comfortable, nestling up to her neck. The butterfly in her hair flapped its wings slowly, announcing its presence.

Grinning, Arabelle threw the window open to greet the animals gathered below. Mustering as much peace and contentment as she could, she allowed her glow to flare out, touching each of the animals and the Cullens as well. A faint glimmer appeared on each of them, letting her know she could still fulfill her purpose. She laughed out loud. It felt so good to finally be a true Princess again.

A sharp twinge appeared in her heart, but she ignored it. She would deal with the pain later, when she was alone and it wouldn't hurt others as well. Looking around, she reveled in the happiness she saw. As Ah'lyah, it was her duty to guide stories; but as Princess, it was her duty to spread the emotions her people relied on. And she loved doing it.

A spirit-dampening thought occurred to her: she would always be Princess, and never Queen, for how could she be Queen with no King at her side? But strangely, the idea did not depress her as much as she thought it would. She'd never been able to truly imagine herself as Queen; merely sitting in the palace all day, assigning jobs and ensuring the land was properly cared for. She had fallen in love with the old world and its inhabitants long ago; she couldn't bear to leave them.

Laughing delightedly, she twirled around, thrilled to be alive. She couldn't wait to spend eternity with Ihvon, but these two thousand years ahead of her did not have to be an unwanted burden. She would use every single second to spread the lovely emotions that the inhabitants of Aralée took for granted.

Pleased, Arabelle turned to Jake. For some reason, she felt strangely drawn to Jake, as if she needed to follow him wherever he went. She would heed the feeling; it was how she had always existed in the past. "Jake," she sang, her voice high and thrilling, "Are you coming back with everyone else?" He hesitated, turning to Nessie. "What do you want to do, babe?" Nessie laughed at the pleading expressions on her family's faces. "We'll come back with everyone. But we can't stay long; we've already promised to go to the Rez and visit."

Esme grinned. "I'm so glad you're coming, dears. We're leaving for home in the morning."

As the family began eagerly chatting with Nessie and Jake, Arabelle turned to Alice. "Alice, I'm going to go outside and read the journal. I'll come back inside in a little while." Alice nodded and Arabelle slipped out the side door. The cool night air swirled around her calmly, clearing her head. Clasping the journal tightly to her chest, she made a graceful leap onto the slightly slanted roof.

The rough gray roofing tiles scratched at her clothes, but she ignored the sensation, flopping onto her back. The stars above gleamed brightly, the moon's calming glow soothing her aching heart. A small smile appeared on her face; she had always found solace in the night sky, spending many an evening lying out beneath the stars with her ever-present Companion. The sunlight brought joy and passion, but the night brought comfort and strength. The two opposites complemented each other perfectly.

An owl hooted in the distance, bringing Arabelle back to the present and reminding her that she was no longer the day to Ihvon's night. She sighed, curling up on her side. She clutched Princess Lissandra's journal tightly. She had come up to the roof with the intention of reading it, but her mind was too ragged to focus on it at the moment. Perhaps she would start the next day, in the car. Or possibly when she arrived at the Cullens' residence.

A warm Florida breeze wrapped around her, tousling her hair. She tried to smile, but could not get her face to cooperate. She felt at her quivering lips with her hands, glad for the solitude that would hide this from the family that had taken her in. They did not deserve to be hurt by her anymore, not even indirectly.

Her heart trembled inside her chest, beating arhythmically as she fought back sobs. Shoulders hunched and fists tight, she finally succumbed to the raging depression inside. Silent sobs racked her body as she cried out her pain and loss.

Gasping through her tears, Arabelle strove desperately to calm herself, to find the easy happiness that had always been present before. But that reservoir had long since dried up, and she found herself grasping at straws as she struggled not to sink back into the months-long depression that had formerly consumed her.

Warm, comforting arms halted her self-destructing spiral. Jake lifted her up into his lap, easily bearing her almost non-existent weight as he let her sob into his chest. "I'm sorry," she choked out. "It just hurts so much." He shook his head. "It's okay. Just let it out, Arabelle. We've got you now."

She let out another sob as she realized the entire family was on the roof with her, love and caring written all over their faces.

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**AN: sigh. i am so ready for arabelle to be happy again. but i've gotta keep the story realistic. laaame. lol. anywho, don't forget to review, my lovelies! :]**


	10. Butterfly

**AN: i'm baaaack! thank you for being so patient while i got this out. the mission trip was amazing, just so you know. i gave out food and blankets, cleaned, organized the clothes closet, and watched over larry, the gay klepto, and made sure he didn't steal too much. and while trying to do everything else, i babysat little kids so their parents could look for jobs or just because their home life sucked. and i also made food for the construction crew and made sure that someone was bringing them water bottles. not to mention flirted with all of them, which backfired because the boy i wanted to didn't ask me out but a guy i totally wasn't into did. it was awkward. but everything was soooo much fun, even though it was a lot of hard work. **

**anywho, i'm sorry this took me a couple extra days, but i tried to make it a bit longer to make up for it. hope you like! :]  
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* * *

Arabelle held in a scream as the car shuddered to a stop. The moment the wheels stopped turning, she threw herself out the door and ran for the nearest tree. Hugging it tightly, she breathed heavily, trying to force herself to calm down.

Jake and Nessie came up behind her, chuckling. "Your claustrophobia is killing my car, girl," Jake complained. "Every time you start to freak out it just stops, no matter what I'm doing. That can't possibly be good for Bessie."

Despite herself, Arabelle laughed a little. Still clutching the tree, she turned her head to eye Jake as Nessie teased him. "Like she can do any more damage to that rusted old thing. Why you insist on driving something that old is beyond me." Jake laughed and faked offense. "Because she has sentimental value, that's why," he huffed. "Besides, she's not that old. And I like her."

Arabelle giggled at Jake's ridiculous comments. His car really was an old rust bucket, but Jake sure loved the thing- he had even named it.

Sensing that Arabelle was feeling better, Jake gently pried her from the tree and dumped her in the back of "Bessie." Smiling, she laid back and tried to find sleep as Jake started down the road. Slipping into unconsciousness became harder and harder as she grew stronger; when Ihvon had been alive, she had only slept very rarely, perhaps a couple hours a month. His death had left her tired, so tired she sometimes thought she might drown in her own exhaustion.

_But I am back now_, she reminded herself fiercely. She could not let the constant waves of grief overwhelm her again. Arabelle soothed the unremitting agony in her chest with the knowledge that she would see Ihvon again; it was not goodbye, never goodbye. It was merely a temporary interlude in their story. _Two thousand years is not such a very long time after all, _she mused. It was not even half her admittedly short lifetime. She just wished it didn't have to feel so dreadfully long.

Arabelle groaned and tried to roll over. Unfortunately, she was still in the car, and therefore flopped from the seat to the floor, the subsequent bump forcing her to abandon all hopes of sleep. Jake watched her in the rear view mirror, snickering. "Real smooth, Princess." Childishly, Arabelle stuck her tongue out at him and climbed back onto the seat.

Jake's retort was interrupted by the sharp wail of sirens accompanied by flashing lights. Cursing, Jake pulled over. "I don't have any of my papers," he muttered. "No license, nothing. And I haven't had anything new made since the Volturi came." Nessie patted his arm. "It's okay, honey. We can just switch seats."

Nessie's plans for deception didn't last, however, as the policeman tapped on the window before she could even unbuckle her seatbelt. "Do you know how fast you were going, sir?" the burly man inquired, tapping his notepad aggressively. "You were going over one hundred twenty miles an hour. That's over double the posted speed limit." Jake cringed- he hadn't realized he had been going quite that fast. Rosalie had fixed up Bessie so that she was a lot more powerful than she looked.

"I need to see your driver's license," the cop informed him. "And would you care to explain why, exactly, you were going so fast?" Jake started to make something up, but was cut short by miserable, rasping cough from the back seat. He turned around to see a young child, suspiciously close in appearance with Arabelle, who was clearly deathly ill. Sweat covered her face, and a small trickle of dark red blood ran from her nose. Her golden blonde hair spilled over the seat, messy and wild. "Daddy," she whimpered, her face pale. "It hurts."

Jake reached back to gently stroke her hair. "It's okay, baby. You'll feel better soon, okay? Daddy's taking you to the hospital right now." He turned back to the police officer. "I've got to get her to the hospital," he explained, his eyes tight. "I don't know what's wrong with her."

The man's aggravated expression disappeared, replaced by an intense sympathy. "I'm sorry," he said. "You go ahead and get your little girl to the hospital."

Jake smiled gratefully as the cop stepped back from the window, taking off as soon as the man made it back to his car. Once they were out of sight, he turned back to see Arabelle back in her normal form, looking as bright and healthy as ever. "How did you do that?" he questioned.

She laughed. "I am who I am. Sometimes, disguise is necessary. I couldn't let him see my true form, and you needed a good excuse. So I picked a form that would serve both purposes." With a grin, Jake turned to face the road again. "Looks like I'm not the only shape shifter in this car, huh?" he told Nessie. She laughed and leaned against his arm. "Yep. You're not special anymore, Jakey!"

In the backseat, Arabelle smiled peacefully, allowing the happy emotions to soothe her mind.

* * *

Embry's eyes shot open as he woke, breathing heavily. Clutching his head, he sat up, not surprised to find himself on the floor. He had been plagued by nightmares for weeks.

Trying to massage away the aching headache the dream had left him with, Embry ran his fingers through his hair and over his scalp. As the pounding headache left, he found himself attempting to remember what the dream was, but to no avail. All he could find was a faint impression of red and black, followed by a beautiful swirl of white and gold.

With a groan, he got up, stumbling out of his room and down the hallways. He would phase, run around a bit, try and clear his fuzzy mind. He could never get back to sleep after one of the nightmares hit him.

He pushed out the back door and slipped off his shorts. The change was quick, and he took off through the back yard, enjoying the feel of the wind ruffling his fur. Dirt and dry leaves crunched beneath his paws. With a sharp-toothed grin, he dashed through the forest, thin branches whipping against his fur.

A doe flew out of the trees and directly into his path, startling him to a stop. He stared at the strange procession following it: two more deer, a mountain cat, some rabbits, various woodland rodents, and a long string of brightly colored butterflies. Wondering at the motley assortment of animals, he stretched his nose out to sniff at them. One of the butterflies, this one pink and gold, detached itself from the others to land gently on his nose.

Suddenly, the butterfly rose off his nose and started back towards his house. Feeling strangely inclined to follow it, Embry took off in the same direction. As he trekked through the forest, he passed several other strange processions of animals. Curious, Embry tried to follow one, but the butterfly flew insistently around his nose and eyes, keeping him from going off track.

Finally, they arrived back at his house, but the butterfly floated past it. Still drawn to the butterfly, Embry continued to follow it, completely unaware of his destination.

* * *

Arabelle finally entered the Cullen's home after a long, draining car trip. The stress of it all had left her physically and mentally exhausted; she wanted nothing more than a long nap. But one step through the doorway eliminated that possibility.

Edward was standing in the middle of the entrance hall, fuming, with Alice in the background looking horrified. Curious, Arabelle stepped further into the house. A sorry sight confronted her eyes- Edwards's beloved piano, ripped into shreds and strewn across the floor. It looked as if a hurricane had come into existence right above Edward's piano and disappeared promptly after smashing it into a thousand pieces. But the dark stench oozing from the wreckage told another story. "Rah'gied," Arabelle breathed. "They must have been unable to resist destroying an object that had so much love attached to it."

Shaking her head sadly, Arabelle approached the ruins of a once-beautiful grand piano. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her: this was her chance to do something for the Cullens, instead of the other way around! Grinning, she whirled around to face Edward. "I can fix the piano. It will take me a little while though." With a vibrant, happy laugh, she flopped on the ground in front of the piano. Her glow flared as she began to sing, a beautiful melody of stunning highs and gorgeous lows. Her voice weaved in and out of the debris, occasionally growing in volume to reach more.

After several minutes, a bright, blinding light engulfed the piano. Arabelle continued to sing, her voice growing in intensity as she swayed back and forth with the music. The glow rose from the floor, forming the shape of Edward's former piano. Arabelle's voice morphed into a sound even more thrilling and compelling than it had been before as the light flared impossibly bright, sending bright shimmers all throughout the house.

Slowly, the light flickered out, as did Arabelle's voice. In its place stood Edward's grand piano, even shinier and somehow more imposing than it had been before. Even the piano bench was back, right where it was supposed to be. A bright grin broke out on Edward's face, and he wrapped Arabelle up in a tight hug. "I don't know how you did that, but thank you so much." Arabelle laughed, on a sort of high from all the light she had been emitting. "It was no great ordeal. I swear, if I hadn't been Princess, I probably would have been a tree-singer. I love it."

Giggling, she twirled around the room, sending sparkles flying everywhere. She laughed as Emmett made a disgusted noise and tried to wipe the glittery dust off. He fixed her with a mock glare. "Woman, if you keep throwing glitter at me, I'm gonna throw you outside!" With a delighted laugh, Arabelle twirled once more, letting a huge, shimmering cloud completely engulf Emmett's large form.

Emmett let out a good-natured roar and charged at Arabelle, pretending to chase her around as if she were a small child. Eventually, he caught up with her, and instantly swept her up into his arms. She shrieked and tried to escape, but he held tight, making good on his promise as he marched out the front door and lightly tossed her into a flower bush.

Still laughing, she emerged from the landscaping with leaves, twigs, and flowers sticking out of her hair. Rosalie almost took pity on her and went to pull them out of her hair, but a willing crowd of tiny birds swarmed the moment Arabelle straightened her head. She emerged from the flock twig- and leaf-free, with flowers lovingly braided throughout her breathtaking golden mane.

Emmett laughed as she let out a huge yawn, swaying on her feet. "Tired much?" With a sleepy giggle, Arabelle stumbled towards Emmett. Halfway there, the exhaustion overtook her and she succumbed while still standing, instantly falling as she lost consciousness. Jake caught her barely an inch above the ground and carried her onto the porch, smiling at the small, contented noises she made in her sleep.

From inside the house, Carlisle and Esme watched the scene play out. Esme was leaning into Carlisle, his arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder. "She seems so young, sometimes," Esme confided. "She may be five thousand years old, but she's so… childlike. Innocent. How can she possibly survive out on her own?" Carlisle comforted her, gently tightening his hold on her waist. "She can't. Ah'lyah are not self-sufficient- not at all. But she won't leave by herself. She'll probably follow Jacob when she feels it's time to go. Don't ask me how I know- I just do. It's part of how she changed me, I think."

Esme nodded, mostly reassured. "I do hope you're right, dear. I don't know what I would do if something happened to her." Carlisle nodded, but he could tell something was still on Esme's mind. "What's wrong?" he prodded. She started to say something, but paused, looking unsure. Finally, after several seconds of deliberation, she voiced her concerns. "What I said about her being childlike… I mean, she really is a lot like a small child. Sometimes she grows up, but so often… she's… just so much like a little girl. I wonder… I wonder how that relationship worked. With a man that was so much older than her. I…" She trailed off, looking unsure, but picked back up. "I can't help but wonder if she was, you know, taken advantage of."

Carlisle smiled gently, rubbing Esme's back. "Naturally, she changes to match the maturity level of her other half. She doesn't have that grounding her maturity right now, so it's really fluctuating. But… Ihvon really was her soul, you know. He existed for her just as much as she existed for him. Their relationship could never be unequal- and being thrown out of a perfect world and into ours probably made her grow up fast. She may not be as innocent as she seems, but there's no denying the fact that it would have been all her own choice. He couldn't hurt her without destroying himself."

Esme smiled, feeling much better. "I'm glad that your little gift is working so well. It's nice to know what's going on, for a change." Carlisle laughed, hugging Esme tight. "Have I mentioned that I love you lately? Because, truly, Esme, I do." She smiled and pretended to be abashed. "You old flatterer you." With a grin, Carlisle bent down for Esme's ever-ready kiss.

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**AN: so, what did you think? please oh please review and let me know! don't forget, if you have questions, just ask me. pm or review, whatever you want.  
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**and i know not too much happened in this chapter but i've got to throw in a little filler before we can really move into part two. patience is a virtue, darlings! :]  
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** :]  
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	11. Princess

**AN: sup. chapter ten is here, people! finally, some new characters. :]  
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Arabelle paced restlessly, feeling twitchy and anxious. She didn't know why she was so on edge, but it was driving her crazy. She had to get out of the house. Pausing in her restive movements, she turned to ask Carlisle if he would go walk outside with her just as Jake announced that he was going for a run. Arabelle jumped at the chance to get some fresh air and open space around her.

"Can I come, please?" She made her very best puppy-dog face, which turned out to be completely unnecessary. Jake merely laughed and settled her fate with a simple "Of course." Elated, Arabelle darted out of the house and onto the porch to wait, jittering up and down impatiently. After what seemed like ages, Jake finally emerged from the house. "Wait here for just a second while I change behind those trees," he cautioned. "I'll be right back."

True to his word, wolf-Jake materialized from the trees seconds after entering. He trotted up beside her and knelt at her feet, indicating that she should get on his back. Grinning, she hopped on, laughing exuberantly at the strange feeling of his rusty brown fur scraping her legs. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he took off, dashing through the trees in a spectacular show of speed and grace.

Arabelle basked in the delightful feeling of the wind caressing her face and whipping her skirt against her legs. With a contented sigh, she dug her face into Jake's neck, tunneling into the soft fur there. A strange sound erupted from his snout- a sort of wolfy laugh. Arabelle giggled at the noise, feeling incredibly light-hearted after being cooped up inside for days. She closed her eyes and turned her face to the sky, letting the sun warm her eyelids. A peculiar shiver ran through her body as she fed, and she realized that her Glamour must be wavering.

Startled, she quickly reverted back to her earth-form; it wasn't kosher for contact with humans, but perfectly acceptable when enjoying the company of her supernatural friends. And it was more comfortable than her stifling human disguises, being merely a watered-down form of her true appearance.

She sighed happily as she surrendered once again to the delicate warmth of the sun. Suddenly, Jacob jerked to a stop. Her eyes fluttered open as she looked around wildly. "What happened?"

The words were barely out of her mouth when she noticed the huge gray wolf, dark spots dotting its back, standing directly in front of Jake. "Embry!" she trilled, pleased to see one of the characters from her last story. "You don't know me, but I know you. And I'm so glad to see you! Come, change so we can talk. Jake, you too!" She hopped off Jake's back, closing her eyes to give them some privacy.

Embry tilted his head in confusion at the beautiful girl perched on a log beside Jake. How did she know his name? He looked at Jake, who nodded at him and then phased back to his human form. Embry took that as a cue to do the same.

The moment he was human, Embry had questions. He faced Jake. "Who is that girl? And how does she know me?" Jake laughed. "That's Arabelle. I'm sure she'll be happy to tell you all about herself, if you just ask her." Embry turned to Arabelle, a hundred questions at the ready, but was prevented from speaking by the ground falling out from under him.

Embry stared at the most beautiful, perfect girl he had ever seen in his life, completely entranced. Everything else that he had ever cared about fell away; it no longer mattered. All that mattered was Arabelle.

He was floating, and the only thing holding him to the Earth was her; he knew with an absolute certainty that without her he would be nothing. She was his gravity, his life. "Arabelle," he breathed, and the words brought him back down to Earth. He was Embry again.

Jake tried to get his attention, but Embry only had eyes for his imprint. "Arabelle," he whispered again. Arabelle remained frozen, her eyes wide and pain-filled. "Oh, no," she murmured, mostly to herself. "I'm not ready for this yet. Not ever. I can't do this." Embry extended a tentative hand towards her, and she took it.

"Hello Embry. I am Arabelle, of Aralée. How did you find me?" Startled out of his reverie by the sound of her voice, Embry found himself more aware of his surroundings. He pointed to the butterfly floating in the air above Arabelle's head. "I had help." Arabelle looked at the pink and gold butterfly and gasped. "Sapphira?"

Cloudy gold shimmers engulfed the butterfly, growing to form the shape of a young girl. The sparkling cloud melted away, leaving a pale child with golden eyes and deep brown hair in its place. The girl grinned. "Princess! It's been such a terribly long time. I brought you a present, though." Arabelle smiled benevolently, seeming to grow much older in the space of only a few seconds. "Why thank you, Sapphira. I do wonder how you got here, though. Ser'ah are not traditionally able to cross the barrier between Aralée and the old world."

Sapphira nodded gravely. "When I felt the pang in my heart that told me Prince Ihvon was no more, I felt that I could not go on without you. No Ser'ah can live without someone to serve, and I was certain that after you I could serve no one else. So I decided to pass through the Portal. And I did go through, though the Portal guardians did their very best to convince me otherwise." Arabelle nodded in understanding. "I can see why, dearest. Aralée weeps for the loss of a child."

Sapphira smiled sadly. "I was driven to despair by my loss- I could not take the joy that is ever-present in Aralée. I thought you were gone, because I knew Prince Ihvon was, as I'm sure you understand. Anyway, I passed through the Portal, but instead of arriving at my final resting place, I found myself here on the old world. It was quite frightening at first, and it was too hard to try and keep a human form, because everyone I met kept telling me what to do. Completing so many tasks took a great deal of time, and occupied so much of my mind I did not realize that you were still alive."

Sapphira shuddered, tightening her arms across her chest. "I had to do scary and bad things. And eventually it got really bad and I started to think I might be dying, but instead I felt all fuzzy and shimmery and suddenly I was a butterfly! Or at least, I looked like one, so the bad people left me alone. And after a little peace and quiet I realized that I could feel you in my mind- that little tug that tells me where you are. So I headed for you, along with a bunch of animals. There are a lot here in the forest that have come to greet you, you know. But anyway, I was making my way towards you when I came across wolf-boy here. And I just knew that you and him belonged together. So I brought him with me! I'm sure he won't mind that I had to Compel him a tiny bit. He really did not take very much persuading."

A kind smile on her face, Arabelle ran her fingers through the much younger girl's hair. "You did well, Sapphira. I'm sure he will thank you." Sapphira beamed up at Arabelle. Suddenly her grin faded, and she looked down at the ground, shuffling her feet. Arabelle frowned, about to ask what was wrong, when Sapphira piped up. "Princess, I was wondering, if it's not too terribly much…" Arabelle raised an eyebrow, prompting Sapphira to continue. "Well, I was wondering if you could fix my clothes and bells. I tried to do it myself, but I'm not very good at Manipulation or metal singing. I used a Glamour to make it look a little better, but it's just not the same, you know?"

Arabelle laughed. "Of course I can, darling. And you don't have to metal sing to Ser'ah bells, Sapphira. Or to your bracelet and anklet. Those are a part of you, not true metal. You just have to Heal them. But don't worry, I can do that." Sapphira nodded in understanding as Arabelle passed a hand over her clothing, leaving sparkling silver shimmers in her wake.

Sapphira's tattered, filthy dress transformed into a rich gold and pale peach wonder, short and layered. Sapphires spread themselves throughout Sapphira's hair, a tribute to her name. She grinned. "Thank you!" Arabelle smiled. "I'm not done quite yet, love. Be still." Instantly, Sapphira froze, a perfectly formed statue. Arabelle crouched down and laid a hand on the thin golden band decorating Sapphira's ankle, willing the two attached bells to return to their former glory. The bells gave a little jingle as they were Healed. A soft smile on her face, Arabelle stood up. "Alright, I'm done. You can move again." Sapphira relaxed, breathing out deeply. "Thank you so much, Princess! It feels nice to be clean again."

Jake and Embry, who had been observing the exchange with varying degrees of confusion, looked at each other, then back at the two girls, then back at each other. Jake decided to speak up. "What just happened? And who is that little girl?"

Sapphira put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "I'm not a little girl. I'm almost two thousand years old! And I have a name, you know. You can call me Sapphira once you decide to get manners. And since when can you talk to the Princess that way? You're supposed to respect your elders and betters, not annoy them with stupid questions. You're not very smart, are you?"

Jake gaped at her. "What?" Arabelle burst out laughing. "This is Sapphira, who was one of my Ser'ah when I was a true Princess. You'll have to excuse her- she's the Araléan equivalent of a seven or eight year old. Back on Aralée, Sapphira was one of my… servants, for lack of a better word. I'll explain Ser'ah to you in greater detail back at the house."

Sapphira looked up at Arabelle with something akin to hero-worship in her eyes. "I don't want to be free, Princess. I want to stay with you. I know it's hard, without Ihvon- my other anklet and bracelet disappeared when he left, you know. It hurts, and it makes me all unbalanced. But I still want to be your Ser'ah. Please say I can, Princess? Please?" She pulled a puppy-dog face that tugged on Arabelle's heartstrings. Arabelle sighed. "I'm not sure if you can still be my Ser'ah. I cannot become Queen, which means I am not truly Princess. And if I am not royalty then I cannot have Ser'ah."

Sapphira shook her head. "You're still in here, Princess," she told her, tapping her temple. "That has to mean something."

"I suppose so," Arabelle mused. "But how can I still be Princess? Surely a new Princess must be born."

Sapphira laughed. "I know something you don't, Princess! Teacher Severin said that a new Princess can only be born when the former Princess moves on or becomes Queen. And you aren't in Heaven or Queen! So I win."

A bright grin appeared on Arabelle's face as she considered Sapphira's words. "I suppose you're right," she admitted. "I'd never looked at it that way before." Sapphira jumped up and down, clapping her hands. "So can I? Oh, please, Princess!" Arabelle smiled gently and bent down to hug the much smaller girl. "Of course you can, doll. I could never make my favorite Sapphira leave." Sapphira grinned for a moment before a suspicious look started to creep onto her face. "Hey! I'm the _only _Sapphira you know."

Arabelle chuckled, a mischievous grin on her face. "Exactly."

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**AN: REVIEW! and i will love you forever, i promise :]**


	12. Explanations

**AN: sup. chapter eleven is here, people! links to pics of dress and tiara on profile.  
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Arabelle whirled into the house, Sapphira following respectfully behind. Jake and Embry, hot on their heels, popped in only moments later. Emmett looked up from where he was curled up on the couch with Rosalie. "Who's the kid?"

Looking around to verify that the entire Cullen family was around to hear, Arabelle nodded and made her introductions. "This is Sapphira, my Ser'ah. Sapphira, these are the Cullens. The big one is Emmett, and the pretty girl with him is Rosalie. The little one with the short hair is Alice, and the tall man with her is Jasper. The girl with Jake is Nessie, and the couple beside them is Bella and Edward. The blonde-haired man I haven't introduced yet is Carlisle, and the woman with him is Esme." Arabelle pointed out each family member as she introduced them, and Sapphira followed along easily. Quickly attaching names to people was a skill all Ser'ah developed at a young age.

"What are their titles?" she questioned. Arabelle paused. "I don't think they really have titles here." Sapphira nodded.

Emmett piped up again. "What's a Ser'ah?" Arabelle looked at Sapphira. "Would you like to explain, darling?" Sapphira flashed a grin at Arabelle and turned to Emmett. "I am a Ser'ah of the Princess. That means I am the personal property of the Princess."

Jasper frowned. "Like a slave?"

Sapphira frowned right back. "I don't recognize that word, sir. If you would like, an explanation would be most helpful."

"A slave is someone who belongs to someone else against their will."

Sapphira laughed. "Of course not! Who wouldn't want to belong to the Princess, sir? No. I am Ser'ah- serving others can be my only purpose."

Arabelle cut in, looking sad. "And that's why we don't bring Ser'ah here, Sapphira. This world is a dangerous place." She turned to Carlisle. "Tell her to do something."

Carlisle hesitated, but Sapphira grinned at him, obviously not afraid at the prospect. "Jump up and down." Instantly, Sapphira began to jump up and down in a perfect rhythm, her quiet footfalls echoing in the sudden silence of the house. Arabelle looked at Sapphira and then back at Carlisle. "She has to do whatever you tell her to do. It doesn't matter what she wants, or if she's even capable of doing it. She has to. And she can't stop until someone gives her permission."

"Okay, you can stop now, Sapphira!" Bella cried, obviously unable to watch the poor girl continue her fruitless exercise. She looked at Arabelle. "You have to send her back! If others get to her, there's no telling what could happen." Arabelle sighed. "I wish it was that easy. But I do not have the power to interfere in stories that are not my responsibility. The Portal sent her here, which means she has a purpose to fulfill. I cannot get in between her and her purpose."

Alice looked confused. "Can't you just free her? She does belong to you after all." Arabelle opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Sapphira's sudden wail of "No!"

Sapphira threw herself down on her knees in front of Arabelle. "Please don't set me free, Princess. I swear I'll never mess up ever again, but don't do that! Please, Princess. Please." Arabelle calmed Sapphira, wiping the tears from her face. "Shhh. Don't worry, Sapphira, I would never do that. Calm down, sweetie. It's okay." Sapphira sniffled, curling up at Arabelle's feet. Arabelle looked at the Cullens, who were all staring with various degrees of disbelief on their faces. "In Aralée, freeing a Ser'ah is considered a horrible and cruel punishment. It's only happened once in all of history. And it truly is a terrible punishment. Ser'ah can only find happiness when serving others.

"Ser'ah are our responsibility, sort of like everyone's children. God gave them to us as a reminder of what happens when you lose free will. Some personality remains when they are young- but as they grow older, they are no more than a shadow of their master or mistress. And with no owner to anchor them, they are nothing, just tortured wisps of souls. It drives them to madness in only a few years- which you must remember is like seconds on Aralée."

Sapphira smiled gently at the pitying faces arrayed in front of her. "But it is no curse. I am happy the way I am; we all are. All of you would probably be miserable in my position, but I was made this way. I am who I am. This is who I am. Please, don't feel sorry for me."

Carlisle started to question her a little bit about her life, but suddenly, Sapphira jumped up and turned to completely face Arabelle, hands on hips. "Princess!" she exclaimed, aghast. "What are you wearing?"

A look of confusion passed over Arabelle's face as she surveyed her outfit: simple, dark wash jeans and a pink top with lace at the edges. "Umm… Clothes? Alice picked them out for me." Sapphira clucked unhappily. "Princess. Why are you dressed like a man? And why aren't you wearing your tiara? And your markings aren't even showing!"

Arabelle laughed. "Sapphira, darling, you sound like an old maid. And I'm dressed like this because I am on Earth. Here, we must dress to blend in with humans."

Sapphira shook her head. "Well, you're not with humans right now, so you need to dress properly." Her fingers twisted into an odd shape, she waved a hand in a circle in front of Arabelle. Bright silver shimmers engulfed Arabelle, sending sparkling light all throughout the room. Eventually, the shimmers melted away, leaving a beautifully clad Arabelle in their place.

Arabelle was stunning. She was dressed in a shimmering gold gown, cut down deep in the back to reveal golden tattoos all over her skin. One strap hung down onto her bare arms, the other placed firmly on her shoulder. It looked almost like a modern version of something from ancient Greece. On her head rested an intricate gold tiara, diamonds twisting into flowers and vines.

"That's better," announced Sapphira, looking pleased with herself. "I wish I could do that with my clothes. But I can't use Cah'lei unless it's for you." Arabelle laughed and rolled her eyes. "I can't dress like this all the time, Sapphira. I have to be able to blend." Sapphira sighed. "I know. But you just look so… different, dressed like them. I like you better as Princess." Arabelle smiled and patted Sapphira on the head. "Thank you, though. You did a wonderful job. You're a natural." Sapphira grinned.

Finally over the initial shock and awe that came with seeing Arabelle in her natural element, Carlisle gathered his wits together enough to ask a question. "Arabelle, why are you covered in tattoos?"

Arabelle laughed. "They're not tattoos, they're markings. I was born with them. The one on my wrist, that looks like my necklace- that's what identifies me as royalty. The ones covering my back identify me as Ah'lyah. And the little one behind my ear identifies me as Princess." Bending down, she lifted the hem of her dress to show Carlisle her ankle. "This one right here, circling my ankle- this showed when I found Ihvon. It marks me as bonded."

"Bonded?" Embry questioned, looking disturbed. Sapphira glanced at Arabelle out of the corner of her eye, looking indecisive. Eventually, she walked up to Embry. She laid a hand on his arm and pulled him outside.

"Embry," she explained. "You're going to have to try and fix her. Do you see my anklet and bracelet?" Embry nodded mutely. "They used to have mates on my other arm and ankle. When Prince Ihvon died, they disappeared- and it's not like losing a piece of jewelry. I've literally lost a part of me, like a hand or a foot. For the Princess, the loss was not so much physical- although it certainly hurt that way- but inside. Prince Ihvon was her soul- literally her other half. They shared thoughts and feelings and memories and everything they did, they did together. If someone touched his arm she felt it in hers; if she had an idea it was his too.

"Now he's gone, and she's still recovering. She'll never be whole again- but you can try to fill that gap. And it may help if you come from a different angle. A romantic angle, I guess." At that, Sapphira wrinkled her nose in distaste, but made no comments as to her feelings on the subject. "They never married- many Ah'lyah do, but the Princess said that she and Prince Ihvon were too much of the same. She said they were one, and that marrying him would be as pointless as marrying herself. So I don't think they ever felt for each other like that."

Embry nodded. "I guess I can't do anything more than take your advice, little sister. Do you know what imprinting is?" Sapphira shook her head. "Imprinting is where you look at someone, and suddenly nothing else matters but them. They're your whole life and you love them a thousand times more than you could ever love anyone else. It's like love at first sight, only about a million times stronger." Sapphira gasped. "And you imprinted on the Princess? Oh, that's just wonderful, Prince Embry!"

Embry cocked his head, confused. "Prince?"

Sapphira laughed. "Of course! You are tied to the Princess, now. That's how Prince Ihvon became Prince- before, he was a mere Heir. He could have been a commoner, though. Previous status no longer matters once you have become a part of the Princess' future. And you are destined to be in hers- why do you think I was sent here? I must guide the Princess' story while she is unable to do so herself."

Sensing Embry's unspoken confusion, Sapphira explained. "The Princess most likely assumed that I don't know why I'm here. But I do- it is the duty of her most loyal Ser'ah to watch over her while she is recovering. I had to pass the three year mourning period before I could go through the Portal- time runs differently on Aralée, you see- but the moment it was over I came to her. Of course, I believed she was dead. But now I know better, and I can still do my job. And I also know that you two belong together. Part of my purpose is to make sure that happens- I can just feel it."

Embry smiled at Sapphira, ruffling her hair in a brotherly gesture. "I don't really know what you're talking about. But that's okay- if you're going to help me, that's all I really need." Sapphira grinned, hugging Embry. "You'll figure it out eventually. It's probably best that you don't really understand her past, because she needs help leaving it behind."

Suddenly, Sapphira gasped and clutched her stomach, her face twisted and white with pain. She swayed unsteadily, and Embry jumped forward and caught her before she could fall to the ground. "Sapphira? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Clutching his arm, she bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. "I'm fine," she choked out. "The Princess just isn't feeling well. I need to go to her." Embry frowned, obviously unsatisfied with her explanation, but picked her up and carried her inside anyway.

Arabelle was standing perfectly still in the living room, her eyes screwed shut and hands clenched. Sapphira whimpered as she threw herself out of Embry's arms and onto the ground. She crawled the last few feet to Arabelle, reaching up to take the Princess' hand. Sapphira went limp, dropping back to the ground in a crumpled heap, as Arabelle pried open her eyes, gasping for air. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Sometimes, it just hits me…" She trailed off as she noticed a motionless Sapphira on the ground.

Arabelle dropped to her knees and ran a hand across Sapphira's forehead. "You don't have to do that," she murmured gently. "I can take it. You don't need to sacrifice yourself for me."

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**AN: Thanks for reading! feel free to click on that green button and leave me a little note about it, people. :]**

**PRONUNCIATION GUIDE: Sapphira (suh FYE ruh)**

** Ser'ah (sair AH) **

** Cah'lei (cah LAY)  
**


	13. Wings

**AN: sorry this took so dreadfully long to get out. i actually had it nearly completed several days ago, but the power went out while i was typing and i lost it all. it took me a little while to write it again, and it's shorter than it really should be. anyways, sorry for any errors- i wanted to get this up and i don't really have time to check. if you notice any please point them out and i'll fix them. thank you for being so patient while you waited! :]  
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**Last chapter: **Arabelle was standing perfectly still in the living room, her eyes screwed shut and hands clenched. Sapphira whimpered as she threw herself out of Embry's arms and onto the ground. She crawled the last few feet to Arabelle, reaching up to take the Princess' hand. Sapphira went limp, dropping back to the ground in a crumpled heap, as Arabelle pried open her eyes, gasping for air. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Sometimes, it just hits me…" She trailed off as she noticed a motionless Sapphira on the ground.

Arabelle dropped to her knees and ran a hand across Sapphira's forehead. "You don't have to do that," she murmured gently. "I can take it. You don't need to sacrifice yourself for me."

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After several long minutes, Sapphira's eyes fluttered open. "Princess," she whispered, her voice faint and feathery. Arabelle sighed and pulled Sapphira up into a sitting position. "You don't have to do that," she repeated. "I can handle it. I am stronger than you think."

Sapphira smiled weakly. "It's okay, Princess. I do not mind. And I cannot simply stand by and watch you suffer. Not when it is in my power to stop it." Arabelle smiled sadly. "I wish I could convince you otherwise, love. But I cannot refuse your help."

"What do you mean?" questioned Carlisle.

"For Ah'lyah and Ser'ah- but not normal Araléans- it is possible to transfer your strength to another. Most can give and receive at whim, but certain restrictions are placed on me because I am Princess. I may not refuse another's offer or give of my own strength. It's a safeguard, because my demise would destroy Aralée."

Sapphira nodded gravely. "And it's a good protection, too. It has saved more than one Princess before."

Arabelle stood up, her eyes sad. "I need a moment alone." Darting outside and into the forest, she sprawled out underneath a tall yew tree. Staring up at the irregularly placed branches, she considered her options. She could stay with the Cullens, something she quite desperately wanted to do. But if she did, she would be forcing herself and all of her troubles on a family that deserved their rightful shot at true happiness. Or she could go with Embry, who would be happy to have her- but also completely miserable. He'd imprinted on her, fallen in love with her, and she could never love him back while she grieved for another man.

She and Sapphira could leave together, but Sapphira had a purpose here, one that surely did not involve her. And Sapphira was a Ser'ah- her need to serve was too strong. If Sapphira died trying to help her, Arabelle thought she just might follow in her little servant's footsteps.

There was another choice, one she did not want to consider but felt she must: going off on her own. She could leave Sapphira with Embry, whom she trusted in a way that she did not quite understand. That way, the Cullens could get back to their lives, and Sapphira and Embry would not have to suffer through her pain. The more Arabelle considered it, the more it seemed like the best possible idea.

Her decision made, Arabelle wiped away a few traitorous tears, reminding herself that it would be the best for everyone involved. Composing herself, she summoned Sapphira. Sapphira instantly materialized, looking confused. "You called, Princess?" Arabelle nodded. "Sapphira, I am going away for a little while. I want you to stay with Embry. You're not to tell anyone where I am." Sapphira curtseyed, her face concerned. "Yes, Princess."

Arabelle softened, wrapping Sapphira up in a hug. "It'll all be okay someday, little one. I promise. But for now, I just can't be here. I love you. Go to Embry now, Sapphira." Sapphira disappeared with a gentle flash of shimmering light.

Slowly, Arabelle turned and trudged deeper into the forest. With a pained cry, she allowed her wings to rip out of her back. The wings were stunning, pure white masterpieces, with just a hint of gold where they met at her back. Silent tears wetting her cheeks, Arabelle sprung into the air, soaring in the direction of anywhere but where she wanted to be.

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Sapphira stumbled into the house, sobbing. Instantly, worried vampires surrounded her, but she pushed through them until she reached Embry. The Princess had ordered her to go to him, after all. His face lined and worried, he sat down on the floor and pulled her into his lap. "What's wrong, Sapphira?"

"The-the Princess… she's gone!" she wailed, great sobs wracking her tiny form. Embry hopped up. "We've got to find her!" Sapphira shook her head, crying impossibly harder. "You can't… and I c-can't tell y-you where she is."

Her strange, golden tears left shimmering tracks on her skin. Raising a delicate, long-fingered hand, she pushed her dark hair back from where it was sticking to her face. Slowly, the tears dried up, leaving an even paler Sapphira in their place. She looked up at Embry, her eyes frighteningly lifeless. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead began to dry heave, her thin frame quaking with every retch.

Sapphira curled up into a shivering ball, clutching her knees tightly to her chest. She closed her eyelids. Embry looked up at the Cullens with frantic eyes, trying to ignore the steadily forming hole in his own heart. "What's wrong with her?" Bending down to Sapphira's level, Carlisle shook his head. "I don't know."

"Ser'ah are made to serve," Sapphira whispered. "But I have two opposing commands, both of which I must follow. The Princess sent me away, yet somehow I must guide her story. The Princess didn't know- she would never do this on purpose." Sapphira took a deep, shuddering breath. "I have to fulfill both commands, somehow. Or I will cease to exist."

Jasper, silent until just then, decided to get involved. "Sapphira, can you tell me the exact wording of her command?"

Sapphira froze, her eyes widening. She opened her mouth, and the sound of Arabelle's voice came out, replayed perfectly. "Sapphira, I am going away for a little while. I want you to stay with Embry. You're not to tell anyone where I am." Jasper leaned forward. "And do you know where she is? Could you find her?" Sapphira nodded mutely.

Jasper looked up, making the connections that the others had overlooked. "Arabelle didn't tell her not to come after her, just not to tell us where she is. As long as Embry comes along, Sapphira can lead us to her."

Sapphira brightened, a tiny bit of the weakness draining from her limbs. "Do you really think that would work?" Jasper nodded. Grinning, she sat up. "Embry, can we go find the Princess?" Embry nodded, smiling a little. "Of course, little sis."

Embry stood up, pulling Sapphira up with him. "When can we leave? And who is coming with us?" Carlisle stood up as well, surveying his family with a critical eye. "Jake and Nessie, you need to stay here. You have other obligations." Jake nodded, quelling Nessie's protests with a pleading look. Nessie wasn't as strong and fast as the full-blooded vampires, and she needed sleep. She would slow them down.

Carlisle looked at the rest of his family. "Who wants to come?" Alice held up a hand to stall the others as she was flooded by various visions concerning the journey. The one she saw repeated the most involved a small group: Embry, Sapphira, Jasper, and herself. "Jasper and I will go. Bella and Edward, you need to stay here. So do you, Carlisle and Esme." Accepting Alice's declaration, Carlisle nodded. "Very well."

Edward looked at her suspiciously, but did not comment on the vagueness of her visions. Alice smiled gratefully, then turned to face the small hunting party. "We need to leave now. Jasper and I can hunt on the go. Embry, you can eat in your wolf form. Sapphira, what do you eat? Do we need to bring supplies for you?"

Sapphira shook her head. "I eat flowers, like the Princess." Alice nodded, smiling. "Alright. Would you like me to bring you a sleeping bag?" Sapphira shook her head once again. "Ser'ah do not sleep. We must be alert at all times, to tend to our duties." Alice saddened slightly, unsure how she felt about the girl's eternal servitude. But she didn't see that there was anything she could do about it, so she pushed her uneasiness to the back of her mind.

"Okay, let's go then. Sapphira, do you want to ride on Embry's back, or mine, or Jasper's? Or are you fast enough to keep up with us?" Sapphira smiled. "I'll fly." Alice shot her an odd look. "Fly?"

Sapphira nodded, tensing and hunching over to expose her back. She cried out as her wings tore through, clenching her fists so tightly her nails cut into her skin. Pale silver blood seeped from the quickly healing cuts as she stood, her magnificent wings filling the room. They were snowy white with glistening silver tips, tiny diamonds embedded throughout. Sapphira gave an experimental flap, then edged out the door, followed by her companions.

Alice noticed a tall gold band around Sapphira's throat, Sapphira's name etched in. A thick gold ring, adorned with sapphires, hung prominently in the center. "What's that around your neck?" she questioned. Startled, Sapphira raised a hand to her neck, running her fingers lovingly along the band. "It's my collar," she explained. "You can't usually see it. I suppose letting my wings out has disturbed my Glamour." Flapping her wings gently, Sapphira hovered in the air.

Disturbed, Alice stared at Sapphira's collar for a moment before noticing that Embry had emerged from the trees in his wolf form. Everyone seemed to be waiting on her. "Alright, let's get going, everyone. Sapphira, lead the way." Sapphira bowed her head obediently. "Yes, ma'am." She took off, her wings sparkling beautifully in the rare sunlight streaming down to earth.

Alice, Jasper, and Embry followed, so fast that a human would see nothing but three blurs, one much larger than the other two.

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**AN: hope you liked! please, feel free to review, my lovelies. and if anyone has any ideas let me know cuz i lost my outline. so... i just may use them. :]**


	14. Affinity

**AN: chapter 13! i'll try to get 14 up asap- don't want to stay unlucky for too long! and just so you know- i still have pretty much no clue how much longer this will be. i'm working on it! :]  
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Arabelle wandered haphazardly through the streets, blind to the filth and darkness surrounding her. Stumbling down a narrow alley, she felt her knees give out and collapsed to the ground, landing in the middle of a fetid puddle.

A man emerged from the shadows, quickly joined by several of his lackeys. "Well, well. Look what we got here, boys." He leaned close to Arabelle, his putrid breath burning her nose. "And it's a pretty one, too." The man straightened, laughing cruelly. "Who wants the first go?"

A particularly filthy man announced that it was his turn, rubbing one of his few remaining teeth in a disturbing manner. Arabelle shuddered, feeling too weak to fight back. The man cackled as he started to tug at Arabelle's dress.

Desperate, Arabelle tried to call for help, but her voice came out weak and scratchy- too soft for even the keenest human ears to detect. For a moment, Arabelle pretended to consider, but she knew what she had to do.

Looking the man straight in the eyes, she forced her eyes to become wide and compelling as she overtook the man's mind. His name was Bruce, and his mind was disgusting. _You don't want to touch me, _she thought into his mind. _You want to leave me alone. You never want to touch another woman again. _Raising her head, she repeated the same message to each of the other men, controlling them with her strangely hypnotic eyes.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she slumped back to the ground, exhausted. Instinctively, she turned to her side for support, crying even harder when she realized no one was there. Shaking, she curled into herself, unable to face the horrors of the world on her own.

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Sapphira whimpered quietly, reaching blindly for Embry. "The Princess isn't doing well," she whispered. "She's not made to exist alone." Embry hugged her, just as torn apart by the disappearance of his imprint as Sapphira was. "It's gonna be okay," he murmured. "We'll find her. Do you know how far away we are now?" Sapphira concentrated. "A day or two, but she's not moving anymore. So it shouldn't be as hard." Embry sighed. "I wish we could take a plane. Too bad you just know the direction, mostly." Sapphira smiled sadly. "I couldn't take a plane, anyway. The Princess cannot stand enclosed spaces, which means neither can I. It's just a part of being Ser'ah."

Embry nodded, smiling a little when Sapphira announced that it was time he got some sleep. He dozed off easily, in grave need of some rest after three days without.

She moved to sit with Alice and Jasper. "Hey, Sapphira. Feeling better?" Sapphira smiled gratefully as she felt Jasper influence her emotions, helping with the deadening depression. Suddenly, Alice gasped, her eyes clouding over as she was sucked into a vision.

Jasper and Sapphira waited impatiently until Alice snapped out of it, her face grim. "Those men, the Rah'gied, they're going to kidnap Arabelle. I'm not sure where they're taking her- there was a mention of Ter'sed, which I believe Arabelle once referred to as the "shadow world." And something about an altar." Sapphira whimpered and shook her head. "No," she whispered. "No. I can't do this again. I can't take this again."

Jasper leaned forward. "What do you mean?" Sapphira shook her head slowly, hands clasped to her face. "They mean to take her to Ter'sed and sacrifice her at their Altar. It's the only way to murder a Princess." Alice frowned, looking worried. "There's no way we could catch her before they get to her- I've already seen it." Jasper growled. "We'll just have to rescue her from this Ter'sed place, then."

Sapphira paled. "It's not that simple. To get to Ter'sed, we have to find the Gateway. And once we find the Gateway, there must be a sacrifice. A willing sacrifice." She sniffled. "You two can't do it, because there must be blood and you have none. Embry cannot because he is vital to the Princess' future. So that leaves me, but I cannot do it because you need a guide to get through the City of Dread, and royal blood protecting you from its horrors. Without me you'll be destroyed. But most importantly- I'm the only way you could possibly find the Princess."

"What can we do?" Alice questioned, her face tight and worried. Sapphira closed her eyes, clearly holding back tears. "I can summon my Affinities." Jasper cocked his head, confused. "Affinities?" Sapphira smiled weakly. "Affinities are similar to siblings or parents, except on Aralée there are no such family ties. Because children are so few, every Araléan is a part of my family- we don't have our own mothers and fathers or brothers and sisters, per se. But everyone is born with at least one Affinity. I am lucky- I have three. Any Araléan, no matter where they are, can summon their Affinities with a simple prayer."

She shook her head, wiping away a golden tear. "I'll be back in just a minute," she murmured before disappearing into the trees. Alice and Jasper exchanged looks, unsure of what they should do.

Sapphira slumped down into the dirt, repeating a simple prayer over and over. When she opened her eyes, her Affinities were all standing before her, looking distinctly disoriented. One of them stepped forward, his golden blonde hair, silver eyes, and tan skin instantly betraying his identity. "Lord Heir Galeran," she murmured, lowering her eyes in respect. His face creased with worry, he bent down to her level and lifted her face to look at him. "What's happened? Why have you summoned us, love?" His voice rang with the clear insistency of pealing bells, so much like Arabelle that Sapphira was forced to confront her reason for the summoning.

Instantly, Sapphira burst into tears. Esmeralda, her soft black hair whipping in the sudden wind, pulled Sapphira into an embrace. Crying into Esmeralda's arms, Sapphira struggled to regain control of herself. Esmeralda raised an olive-skinned hand to wipe the shimmering wetness from Sapphira's face. "Shhh, love," she cooed, rubbing her back in soothing circles. "Let's just sit down and talk about what happened." With a final sob, Sapphira plopped back down on the slightly damp ground.

Little Jacinth reached for Sapphira's hand, smiling angelically. Her small, delicate fingers wrapped around Sapphira's thumb. Her hair was a peculiar shade, not quite red but certainly not blonde. "Sapphira," she sang, not quite able to grasp the concept of human speaking. "I've missed you." Sapphira tried to smile through the deep sadness that seemed to be overwhelming her. "I've missed you too, baby. You've grown a lot- and your English has improved quite a bit." Suddenly, Sapphira felt a sharp pain in her ribs.

"I have to get back to Embry," she gasped. "I'm not supposed to be away from him." Galeran nodded sagely and swept Sapphira into his arms as Esmeralda did the same with Jacinth. "Point the way," he commanded. She obeyed, pointing her finger in the exact direction from whence she had come. Galeran took off, closely followed by Esmeralda. Courteous as always, Galeran patiently kept his speed matched to Esmeralda's much slower pace. In just a few minutes, they arrived at the camp.

Jasper and Alice jumped up, ready to defend themselves from the potential enemy, but found themselves instantly calmed by Galeran's stately aura. "Calm, my children," he murmured, a large gold crown appearing on his head. Sapphira, noticing the new adornment, frowned. "Lord Heir Galeran," she questioned, "If you would like, I am very curious about the crown you are wearing." He laughed. "As the highest-ranking royal man on this world, I am the currently reigning King. When I return to Aralée, I shall resume my status as a simple Lord Heir."

Sapphira nodded, her curiosity satisfied. Galeran set her down on the ground beside Jasper and Alice. A stiff gold throne appeared behind him, and he took a seat. "Please, do not feel the need to stand. You may sit." Esmeralda sat at his feet, facing the Cullens. Absentmindedly, Galeran ran his fingers through her hair. Jacinth giggled happily at a caterpillar she'd found crawling on a fallen tree limb. "Look, King Galeran!" she announced. "I made a new friend!"

He smiled, admiring the dirt-covered bug. "That's wonderful, Jacinth," he said. "What's it's name?" Jacinth laughed, bouncing up and down excitedly. "His name is Mupple! He told me so himself." Galeran nodded in mock seriousness. "Well, I'm sure Mupple is very glad to have a friend like you." Jacinth grinned and jumped up into Galeran's lap, Mupple happily residing on her forearm.

Sobering, Galeran looked at Sapphira. "Please, love. Tell me why you've called us." Sapphira swallowed hard. "The Princess… The Princess is in trouble. She ran away, and she's going to be captured by Rah'gied. They're going to take her to Ter'sed." Esmeralda let out a loud wail, followed by a sudden downpour. "No!" she sobbed, ripping at her hair and clothing. Jacinth, seeing Esmeralda's reaction, instantly burst into tears, although she clearly did not understand what was going on.

Galeran leaned forward. "What do you mean, the Princess? We were told she had died." Sapphira shook her head. "Only Ihvon. The Princess has two thousand more years to go before she can reach her final resting place." Galeran sat up straight, smothering his urge to mourn with Esmeralda. "This is my fault," he announced, "and I take full responsibility for it. Do not worry, children. I will take care of this. We must travel to the Gateway and rescue our Princess." Sapphira sniffled. "But the Gateway requires a sacrifice," she cried. "One of us must die!"

Galeran nodded. "I am aware of that. As royalty, it is my duty to be a martyr for my people. It is my responsibility to solve the problem caused by my own inability to stop this in the first place."

"Pardon me for the interruption," Jasper said, "But how is this your fault? What could you have done?" Galeran smiled sadly. "I am King. It is my duty to know everything that goes on in my kingdom. It is also my duty to foresee and prevent all disasters, natural or otherwise." He eyed Jasper, who seemed about to argue. "Part of being King is understanding that all disasters are your fault, no matter what. Royalty is often just another term for scapegoat. Before ascending the throne, that is something that must be accepted."

Jasper frowned. "But that doesn't make any sense. You didn't do it. You didn't even know she was alive." Galeran smiled. "It doesn't matter. It's still my fault. But that's okay. I accepted that a long time ago." Jasper sighed, obviously deciding not to pursue the matter further.

Esmeralda shook her head fiercely. "No, King Galeran. You are too important. You must live. If the King on Aralée dies, who could take his place but you?" Eyes downcast, she continued. "Jacinth is too young, and Sapphira must lead her companions to the Princess. It must be me." Galeran shook his head, but Esmeralda cut him off. "Sometimes, being King means you must allow others to die for you. I will not be missed- I was just a Gardener. I can be replaced easily."

Galeran frowned, grudgingly accepting Esmeralda's logic. "I don't like it," he announced. "But I must accept your offer of help. The Strictures prevent me from stopping you."

Alice jumped into the conversation. "We must continue this later," she announced. "If we don't get going now it will be too late altogether. Sapphira, wake Embry. We must leave."

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**AN: leave me some love, people! :] **

**Pronunciation Guide: Galeran (guh LAIR in)**

** Esmeralda (EZ mer ell duh)**

** Jacinth (juh sinth)**

** Mupple (MUH pull)  
**


	15. Sacrifice

**AN: chapter fourteen. the end is coming, people!  
**

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Thick, black metal bands encircled Arabelle's wrists and ankles, firmly holding her spread-eagled against the grimy dungeon wall. Two heavy nails pinned her bedraggled wings back, dried golden blood pooled at their bases. She gave a few half-hearted tugs, but the fight had drained out of her hours ago. The thick, impenetrable darkness and evil of this place left her as weak and helpless as a baby.

She swallowed back tears and held her head high. She would not let them see her break, not ever. At least, not ever again.

Memory of that fateful night rushed into her mind like a tsunami, drowning every happy thought that had ever tried to bloom.

_Ihvon stood over her, fighting off an endless sea of attackers. Arabelle struggled with her own demons, frantically trying to defeat the overwhelming clouds of darkness. She forcibly ignored the secret reservoir of strength hovering above her; she knew that if she touched it, hundreds of innocents would die. _

_ A silent, odorless man- a __Jah'kong__- crept forward, coming close enough to Arabelle he could touch her. Ihvon turned his back on his current opponent to save Arabelle, and suddenly she knew._

_ Time stopped as her options presented themselves: she could allow Ihvon to make the choice he was contemplating; or she could reach just outside herself and touch that tempting bubble of energy, dark, hungry energy, and kill them all- including hundreds of innocent humans. _

_ Desperation engulfed her as she realized what option she had to pick. Murder was beyond her, no matter how much she wished she could make herself just give in and forget the values that made her who she was. _

_ Arabelle surfaced with a scream, fruitlessly trying to save Ihvon. "NO!" But he didn't listen, because he knew her mind better than she did and so of course he knew what she meant to do. _

_ The attacker- Terrence, her mind told her- stabbed Ihvon in the chest with a long, jagged knife, laughing manically. Arabelle sobbed as she realized what was truly happening. _

_ Ihvon accepted the blade without a fight. "I'm sorry, Princess," he whispered in her mind. "But this is how it must be. If I don't let go now, they'll capture us both, and you'll die on the Altar." A sad smile appeared on his face as he clasped her hand, refusing to let the demon hordes drag her away. "I love you," he murmured. "More than you can ever know." _

_ And just like that, he was gone, her Ihvon was gone, he was gone and he was never coming back and Arabelle just exploded. _

_ Unearthly light burst out of her, destroying every single dark thing within a hundred miles. Rah'gied writhed and burned, but she could find no pity for their pain. Her heart turned cold and hard as she succumbed to the terrible pain that was overtaking her, crying out and falling to knees on the stiff, rocky ground. _

_ The sky bottomed out, lightning flashed and thunder rolled. Animals and humans alike crept inside their pathetic homes for cover as Arabelle's terrible wrath decimated the land around her. Two syllables, the only two syllables that had ever meant anything, bubbled out of her in a never-ending stream of "Ihvon, Ihvon, Ihvon," and tears formed on her cheeks for the first time since she'd become whole._

Arabelle shook her head fiercely, forcing herself to snap out of it. With renewed spirits, she put what little energy she had left into fixing her appearance. If she must die today, then she would shock and awe every single one of those puffed-up Rah'gied. They would see whom they were truly dealing with.

With a determined grimace, she shed her many Glamours, slowly approaching her true form. It was hard to push away what little protection she had in a place like this, but it had to be done. A tight smile appeared on her face as she finally discarded the last layer.

A faint shimmer filled the room as her long, golden hair tumbled down in a waterfall of pure light. Her beauty sharpened so that she was almost painful to look at, terrible and mesmerizing at the same time. Her ragged dress lengthened into an elegant ball gown, completely composed of flowers, light, and swaths of pure gold and silver.

The Fer'sai Tiara materialized on her head, asserting her identity as Princess. A groan escaped her as her wings straightened and whitened, now glowing and shimmering. With a proud toss of her head, she assumed her most disdainful expression and waited for the end to come.

……………………………………………………………………………………………… The Gateway loomed in front of Arabelle's rescue party, occasionally emitting ominous black clouds. Alice and Jasper exchanged looks as they realized that the time for decisions had come.

Faintly, Jacinth could hear Esmeralda and Galeran arguing in the background, but she ignored them. She petted Mupple. "I'm scared, Mupple," she confided. The caterpillar, happily devouring a leaf, did not respond. "I'm afraid of dying. What if it hurts?" Mupple made his way up her arm, and she absentmindedly plucked him off her dress, which he was trying to eat. She set him down on a leaf. "I'll miss you, Mupple."

Humming softly to herself, she danced up to the Gateway, slipping her hand into Galeran's. "I'm gonna miss you too, King Galeran," she sang, her high soprano voice reverberating gently. "I'm gonna miss all of you." The others turned to face her, confusion clear on their faces, but Jacinth just smiled gently and danced towards the Gateway.

Biting her lip, she used her abnormally sharp nails to cut her arm and smeared the golden blood all over the edge of the Gateway. With a cry, Galeran launched himself at her, but he was too late. She squeezed her eyes shut and fell back through it into the interminable darkness.

Esmeralda dropped to her knees, silent tears dripping down her face. Galeran knelt down and placed an arm around her shoulders, his face twisted in anguish. Sapphira stood motionless, one hand outstretched towards the Gateway, frozen in shock.

Slowly, Galeran stood, pulling Esmeralda up with him. He supported her weight easily, practically carrying her over to Sapphira. "I hope… I hope this is how things were meant to be. Perhaps this was the meaning of her strange markings and hair." Sapphira wakened suddenly, turning to face Galeran. "I certainly hope so," she murmured, her face pale and voice soft. "It is true that she did not conform to any of the usual Araléan groups." Galeran nodded. "She did not have the pale skin and dark hair of Ser'ah, nor the markings of royalty or Ah'lyah. But her blood ran gold, like royalty. And she had those markings, all over her. And that hair! I've never seen anything like it."

Sapphira looked down, reigning in her grief. There would be time for that later. "We must go through now, before it closes. King Galeran, you and Esmeralda must stay here. I refuse to risk your safety in such a world when Jacinth has just sacrificed herself to save you." Galeran frowned but did not argue, accepting Sapphira's decision for Esmeralda's sake. He was beginning to realize that his life was tied to hers; he could imagine no future without her in it.

Sapphira grasped Embry's hand and jumped through the Gateway. Alice and Jasper leapt in immediately after, leaving Esmeralda and Galeran alone with their sorrow.

The four rescuers sank through a vast, mystifying tunnel, unable to distinguish up from down. The world spun as they fell farther and farther. Eventually, an oily, evil tinge infected the impenetrable blackness.

Suddenly, a wide, gaping maw appeared on one side of the tunnel. Sapphira led the way, ushering the others through the jagged opening. They tumbled out into an old, seemingly abandoned warehouse of some sort.

The walls were filthy, consisting only of thin and partially destroyed wooden slats. The roof sagged in the middle, and rain drizzled through in several places. Dust and grime covered every available surface, including the cracked, puke-green tile of the floor.

Sapphira grimaced at the distasteful mess, fervently wishing that she did not have to do this. With a sigh, she pulled on the inner well of power found only in Ser'ah- Cah'lei.

She quickly wrapped her companions in the soft gold light that was the mark of royalty; it would protect them from the worst of this world. Satisfied that they were as safe as possible, she turned her attention to shedding her Glamour.

Carefully, she peeled off each stifling layer, revealing her true form. Deep brown hair cascaded down her back in a labyrinth of curls, and her pale skin developed an unearthly, pearly-white glow. Her dress shifted, its fabric becoming the very large petals of a huge, peach flower. A golden cord wrapped around it, holding it to her body. Her anklet, bracelet, and collar glistened and shone, proud symbols of her servitude.

"Come," she told the others. "We must go this way." Her voice was the perfect trill of bells. It took Embry a moment to overcome his awe before he could pick himself up and scamper out behind the others, through a rough crack in the wall.

The streets were dingy and dark, something for which Sapphira was grateful. The gloom would help disguise her own fledgling glow. Closing her eyes, she focused on locating the Princess.

Her mind sent her down a dark, sinister alleyway. Silently, she crept through the filth and refuse, closely followed by Embry, Alice and Jasper. After what seemed like hours, she found herself outside a tall stone castle, crumbling in disrepair. She didn't need to focus to know that the castle was where Arabelle was being held; the evil surging out of the place clearly indicated the presence of the Altar, where Arabelle was to be sacrificed.

Sapphira turned to Alice. "This is where the Princess is," she whispered, her voice low and thrilling. "But I don't know how to get in without being seen." Alice frowned, closing her eyes and attempting to summon a vision.

Meanwhile, Jasper had been inspecting the perimeter, looking for a way in. He found it in the form of a twisted hunk of metal that had destroyed a good part of the outer wall and taken a chunk out of the castle itself. "This way," he called, beckoning his team. They followed him through the wreckage and into a decrepit entranceway, cobwebs sweeping across the floor and ceiling. One lone servant scurried through, carrying a box of candles.

Cautiously, they slunk through the castle until they reached the kitchens. The kitchens were bustling with servants of various shapes and sizes, each one with a specific task. Observing all the activity, Sapphira realized they must be preparing for a feast. She fought back the urge to vomit when she saw a skeletal hand being thrown into a soup pot, refusing to acknowledge just exactly what they were eating.

She turned to Jasper and Alice. "What do we do? The only way to the dungeons is through the kitchens, I just know it. And the Princess must be held there." Jasper looked at Sapphira. "Alice and I could blend in, with a little work. If we look busy, I imagine we could sneak through. But there's simply no way to make you look like one of them, darling. And I don't know what we could do with Embry."

Sapphira surveyed the kitchens, then took a good look around her surroundings. "A Glamour won't work on them- I can't hide us myself. But if Embry phases, we can make him look ragged and filthy. It might work- a giant wolf is just the sort of thing the Rah'gied would keep around."

Alice nodded, immediately setting to tearing up her and Jasper's clothing. Once she was satisfied with her raggedness, she rolled around in the filth on the floor, urging Jasper to do the same. She smeared dirt on her cheeks and in her hair, then subjected Jasper to the same treatment.

Embry disappeared around a corner and exploded into his wolf form, stashing his clothing around his leg with the leather strap he carried for that purpose. Sapphira used her teeth to rip and tear at his soft fur coat, fighting to make it appear appropriately neglected. Alice helped by rubbing in dust, dirt, and cobwebs.

Suddenly, Alice brightened. "I know what to do!" she exclaimed. "We can make you a prisoner. These are just servants; they'll probably assume you're another Ah'lyah." Sapphira laughed exuberantly. "That's perfect! Jasper, find some sort of metal to twist around my wrists." Jasper returned almost instantly with some ancient metal candlesticks, which he proceeded to flatten and turn into quite convincing handcuffs.

As he worked, Sapphira explained how they must act. "Embry, you must keep your head down. Try to look beaten, but also feral and unstable. Growl, maybe drool a little. Look hungry. Jasper, you need to look cocky and prideful. Look at everyone you encounter as if they are nothing more than the scum beneath your feet. Acknowledge no one." Her pupils nodded, and she turned to Alice. "Alice, you need to be incredibly subservient. Remember, women have no place here. You must scurry after Jasper. You need to look fearful; every time he makes a sudden move, or looks irritated, or turns in your direction, flinch and start to cower. But at the same time, you must appear to hero-worship him. Try to remember that Jasper owns you, is all you've ever known."

Rubbing a few quick swipes of dirt on her arms, legs, and face, Arabelle stood and allowed Jasper to cuff her. "Alice, put a few slices in my dress. I need to look like I've fought recently." Alice obeyed.

The four took a deep breath and headed for the kitchens, hoping beyond hope that their pathetic disguises would work.

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**AN: *insert standard review whore here***

**Pronunciation Guide: Jah'kong (like it looks, but the j like in raja, not jam.)**

** Fer'sai (fair sigh)  
**


	16. Purpose

**AN: the fifteenth and final chapter in my little story. *sniff.***

**actually, it's not really over. i'll do an epilogue. but the major plotlines? over. so sad! **

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Jasper stepped into the kitchens first, roughly pushing Sapphira in front of him. Alice followed behind, head bent and hands clasped in front of her. Beside them, Embry slunk sullenly, snarling viciously at any servant that had the misfortune to lay eyes on him.

The kitchen workers jeered at Sapphira, their faces twisting cruelly as they taunted her. Sapphira kept her head high, a proud, disdainful expression on her face. She would not mar the Princess' good name by even so much as pretending to be broken.

One of the braver servants, a man, lunged at her, ripping at her dress. Jasper growled and threw the man halfway across the room. "I caught her," he snarled, covering quickly. "She's mine first." Sapphira tried to look appropriately frightened as Jasper shoved her towards the dungeons.

After what seemed like years, they finally reached the large, thick door, supported by dark bands of metal that Sapphira knew not to touch. This whole place was infused with darkness, but somehow the metal seemed to have a soul-sucking property that could weaken her beyond repair. Slowly, the door creaked open, and the four rescuers stepped into the dark, dank dungeons.

Sapphira led the way down a narrow, twisting corridor, mold and mildew thick on the decrepit stone walls. Finally, they reached the cell where Arabelle was being kept. Six guards were in front of the door, all incredibly bored. Two were sleeping, while the other four were playing some sort of gambling game that involved throwing bones on the floor. Sapphira choked back an urge to vomit when she realized they were the bones of human children.

Jasper assumed an uninterested expression and lackadaisically pushed Sapphira forward. With a condescending glance at the guards, he pushed Sapphira forward. "I've gotta put this one up with the other one," he announced. "Open the door already, would ya?" Grumbling, one of the guards- this one barely humanoid, with several extra limbs and scaly blue skin- coughed up a key and unlocked the door. He swallowed the key before ushering them in. As he went to shut the door, he realized his mistake. "I forgot, man, I'm supposed to lock you in. But I already swallowed it."

Jasper waved a hand in a dismissive motion. "Just shut the door. You can lock it again once I come out." Clearly relieved, the lizard-man nodded and shut the door behind them.

Sapphira cried out when she saw Arabelle, easily tearing through her temporary restraints as she ran to her. Arabelle smiled weakly as Sapphira struggled to free her from her bonds, made of the same metal supporting the dungeon door. After a few seconds, Sapphira realized that she couldn't free Arabelle on her own; she turned to Alice and Jasper for help.

Alice and Jasper were frozen in the doorway, stunned by Arabelle's true form. Blinking hard, Alice shook her head, recovering. She grabbed Jasper's arm and shook him a little, pulling him to Arabelle. "Help me set her loose, Jazz." Shaking his head a little, Jasper snapped out of it, quickly moving to Arabelle's left. He worked to break her chains, his vampire strength barely enough to snap them. "We should've brought Emmett," he grunted, working through the layers of chain holding Arabelle to the wall. "This is just his cup of tea."

Alice laughed, snapping yet more chain. "Isn't that the truth." Finally, the last of Arabelle's bonds were broken. Arabelle tumbled to the ground, caught by Jasper at the last second. Laying limply in his arms, she struggled to gather enough strength to stand. Weakened by the poisonous metal that had been holding her for so long, she felt that she was fighting a losing battle.

Sapphira stepped forward, her radiant face sad. "This is where I come in, Princess," she murmured. "You must escape. And I no longer have a world to belong to." Realizing what Sapphira was getting at, Arabelle tried to protest, but found that she could not form the words. The Strictures were still strong, even in this dark underworld.

"I don't have a place anymore, Princess. I can never belong in Aralée again," she whispered, "and you have Embry. You'll do fine without me."

Arabelle sighed sadly. "You grew up."

With a gentle smile, Sapphira closed her eyes and placed her hands on Arabelle's forehead. For a few seconds, it seemed as if nothing was happening. But gradually, Sapphira's once-bright glow dimmed, barely lighting up the room at all. A low cry escaped Sapphira and she tumbled to the floor, one hand still tangled in Arabelle's long hair. Alice and Jasper looked on with horror as Sapphira herself flickered in and out of existence. With a final pop, she disappeared entirely.

Arabelle stood up, her glow flaring brightly enough that all the shadows in the room were chased away. Silent tears coursed down her cheeks as she pulled herself together, holding an authoritative hand in the direction of the doorway.

The door went down with a loud bang, smoking. The guards jumped to their feet, but as the light radiating from Arabelle touched them they shriveled and burned, disappearing. Arabelle continued unhindered down the hallway, blasting down the dungeon door just like her cell door. Frantic servants scattered and hid, hysterically trying to avoid being plowed down by Arabelle's shimmering glow.

No one challenged them as the left the kitchens, but Arabelle did not leave the castle in the same sneaky way her rescuers had entered. Instead, she headed for the main entranceway, the righteous fury on her face effectively smothering any possible arguments for the other route. With a determined fury, Arabelle sent lesser Rah'gied flying down the passageway as she moved herself in front of Lord Armand.

"You," she accused. "You caused this. You sent them."

Terrified, he did his best to deny it. "N-no, of course not," he sputtered. "I would never."

"Filthy liars, the lot of you," she spat, the anger strangely out of place on her too-perfect features. With a withering glare at the cowering Lord Armand, she ascended the Great Dais. "This is where it began," she announced, "and this is where it will end. I have discovered my new purpose, and I will not explain it to you; but I will tell you, that the next time one of my kind is kidnapped by you, I will come and fetch him or her personally. And trust me when I say the outcome will not be favorable on your part."

Surveying the terrified and trembling faces surrounding her, Arabelle continued regally. "I have come to a realization; that without darkness there can be no light- for in my world no evil exists, yet still there is no true good. I therefore cannot destroy you all as I would like, for that would be destroying free will in the world above. However, that does not mean I make this decision lightly. I warn you that I am stronger than all of you combined, for light strengthens while darkness destroys. And I am perfectly capable of reversing my decision. So do not give me cause to change my mind.

"I understand that you are who you are, and that beings such as you have little more free will than my people. I would remind you, though, that salvation is open to all; you may switch sides, and I encourage you too. I will not necessarily punish you for every little wrong, but rest assured that when the wrongs become too much I will step in. Do not test me."

Sighing, Arabelle turned to face Alice and Jasper. Embry trotted up to her, nuzzling up to her side. "A great wrong has been done today," she murmured. "I have lost my Sapphira, my darling Ser'ah." Sadly, she motioned for Alice and Jasper to take her hands. "We are connected now, Embry," she assured him. "There is no need for physical contact to make this journey."

With a great burst of light, the four rose up, time and space bending around them, finally depositing them on Earth, near the Cullen's home. Arabelle laughed lightly, overjoyed to be surrounded by nature and light once again.

The Cullens emerged from the house, enticed out by the sudden sunshine. Arabelle smile benevolently at them, her face tinged with a sadness that they couldn't help but feel did not belong. Alice and Jasper joined their family as Embry emerged from the trees, human again.

"I have to go now," Arabelle explained, her voice ringing with the sound of a thousand high-pitched bells. "But Embry and I will come back to visit. May you remain forever in my heart."

Alice, saddened by yet another loss, laughed at the odd expression. "May you remain in our hearts," she parroted, not unkindly. Arabelle smiled and chuckled. "I'll miss you, tiny Alice. Goodbye!"

Arabelle intertwined her fingers with Embry's, and in a brilliant flash of light, they were gone, off to start a new chapter in Arabelle's story.

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**AN: sigh. i'll miss this story... but i'm glad it's over. the chapters were getting kinda hard to write. cept ch.14, which was easy for some reason. lol. **

**do me a favor and let me know what you want to see in the epilogue, cuz as of right now i have no clue what to do with it. i mean, i know what happens after- but what's important to y'all? **

**and here is some shameless plugging: my next fic, which will be out asap, is gonna be a series of poetic drabbles about a dysfunctional edward and an enabling bella. it's called borderline (named after edward's disorder). anyways, read it! i may even put it up tonight if my computer quits screwing up. **

**:]**

**clarissa.  
**


	17. Epilogue

**AN: hello, loves. the epilogue is finally here. sorry it took me like two weeks. i was just really busy with AP testing and end-of-year stuff. but school is finally out, so it's all good! anyways, i know this is a little short but that's mostly because it's the epilogue and not a real chapter. i hope it wraps things up for you :]**  


* * *

Ever so slowly, the pain receded, and with it the grief. It took a long time, but one day, Arabelle woke up and realized that she was ready to face the day.

The departure of the worst of her aching depression, still throbbing at the corner of her heart, did not leave an empty hole in its place. Embry, constant, wonderful Embry, was there to pick up the pieces every time. He held her together when she was falling apart and waited patiently through every tear-filled night.

Gradually, things changed between them. Arabelle stopped seeing Embry as a caretaker, and Embry stopped seeing Arabelle as a child. And truly, she was a child no more. Incredible loss coupled with dire responsibility had forced her to grow up much too quickly, just like Sapphira.

One day, Arabelle looked at Embry and realized something in her had changed, something about the way she looked at him. That was the day she asked him to open his mind to her.

Ah'lyah are not made to exist alone; they are created with partners for a reason. The absence of thought, that constant inner dialogue between an Ah'lyah and her companion, was ripping Arabelle apart. She felt isolated and disconnected from the world around her. She could hardly function, she was so used to having Ihvon to hold her hand through it all.

Embry said yes, and their minds were connected, so that they could be of one thought. But it was different than with Ihvon. Arabelle and Embry could possess differing opinions, original thoughts. It was a strange sensation- but not necessarily a bad one. It felt less like molding herself around him (or vice versa) and more like a steady exchange of thoughts and ideas and feelings. Arabelle still retained her identity as an individual, but without all the loneliness and emptiness.

It took her a while to get used to it- to sharing thoughts but having different ones, to being a separate person, to not be able to feel a touch on his arm as if it were her own. Eventually, though, Arabelle could hardly imagine life differently. And that was when things with Embry changed yet again.

They were perched at the top of a mountain, surrounded by the peace and calm of early morning. Embry's hand brushed Arabelle's. The spark made her jump.

He laughed, but she didn't. Something in her felt… strange. Different. Awakened. As she processed the new sensations, so did Embry. His eyes darkened as he bent down to Arabelle, meeting his lips to hers.

She was surprised. But she was also a fast learner.

After that, things grew into something warm and lovely and soft. Arabelle pictured love as a sunset over the ocean, the sun's warm rays washing over your body as the salty spray of the sea drifted in the wind. It filled her to the brim.

She had lived a long time, compared to the inhabitants of Earth. Millennia. But truly, it had passed in the blink of an eye. And now her time had come to an end. A new Princess had been born, different from any Ah'lyah ever seen before. Her hair and skin were golden, and her wings white- just like they should be. But the markings on her skin danced and jumped, swirling on her skin entrancingly. And her name was printed within the markings: Aurora. Her name was reflected in her eyes, which shone with the light of a thousand mystical colors, constantly swirling about and changing. She would be the last Princess, although her people did not know that. There had been a vision concerning it within Princess Lissandra's journal, which was why the journal had been hidden in the first place.

But to make room for the next Princess, the former must move on. So Arabelle paid her respects to the newest member of the royal family and then set off for the Portal, Embry at her side.

Years spent in Arabelle's glow had changed Embry. His hair had lightened into a very dark gold, and his skin glimmered like Arabelle's. He now possessed his very own light and wings, as well as many other traits of Ah'lyah. The change was so complete that he could enter Aralée.

A great procession followed the Prince and Princess on their journey to the Portal, composed of men, women, and children of all ages and walks of life. All were dressed in pure white and bedecked in flowers, for the willing passage into the Portal was not a time of mourning but of celebration. It was time for Arabelle to take her place in heaven.

Arabelle and Embry stood before the Portal as the Guardians asked the routine questions. Trumpets, flutes, and harps rejoiced in the background. As Arabelle and Embry confirmed their decisions, their audience began to sing.

The melody was light and flowing, highs and lows meeting beautifully. There were no human words, but in Araléan, the notes came together to mean farewell, goodbye, good luck, we love you, we'll miss you, thank you, Princess. The clear, piercing notes swirled in the air above as Embry and Arabelle joined hands and stepped through the Portal.

There was a brilliant flash of light, and they were gone. The new Princess, barely in her seventh year, walked to the front of the crowd. "Come, children," she called. "We have much to do. Our time left is little."

* * *

**AN: sigh. i'm gonna miss arabelle, no lie. her world is really fun for me to create. maybe i'll do something else with her. but anyways, i would just like to give a great big thank you to all my readers, and an even bigger one to my reviewers. you made this a really fun time for me. **

**more shameless plugging: borderline. read it. i got it posted, and i'm telling you, it's awesome. lol.**

**:]**

**clarissa.  
**


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